Washington State
Tasting Notes
Color – Deep, dark carmine
Aromas – Raspberry with a granite undertone
Flavors – Blackberry and raspberry complemented by mocha and cherry
Structure – Fruit present throughout the mid-palate with a tannin-structured finish
Aromas of raspberry with granite undertones open up to a roller coaster of dark fruit flavors throughout. Fruit present throughout the mid-palate with a tannin structured finish.
Harvest 2020 was first affected by a series of freeze events in October 2019, which led to bud damage, reduced canopies, and a smaller fruit load. Winter was unseasonably warm until mid-March, when snow and freezing temperature interrupted the prematurely blooming orchards. Fortunately, many grapevines were still dormant and budbreak held off until mid-April. The following spring months were cooler and wetter, contributing to smaller clusters. The summer months were relatively warm with a few heat spikes. On Labor Day, a severe windstorm struck the region, and smoke from local and Oregon wildfires invaded the valley for several days. Fortunately, this unwelcome smoke had a limited impact on the grapes. The initial red grapes were harvested in the second week of September during the onset of this windstorm. The temperatures between the smoke event and the end of harvest were relatively high, however, a frost event occurred in late October that ended harvest throughout the state. The weather was nearly perfect throughout the harvest window, with all varietals achieving maturity.
Food Pairing – Braised beef short ribs with grilled polenta
About Kate Arnold Wines
Kate Arnold Wines are sourced from California, Oregon, and Washington. Kate and her husband, Jean believe to produce the best wines one must locate the best growing areas for each varietal. Lake County in California for Kate Arnold Sauvignon Blanc, Oregon for our Pinot Noir, and Washington for our Cabernet Sauvignon.
Our winemaking philosophy is about the vineyards with minimal winemaking intervention to produce wines reflective of the region. We don’t believe in some of the intrusive modern winemaking techniques that negatively disrupt the reflection of the carefully selected sourcing for our grapes and wine. We don’t put anything in our wine that we would not drink ourselves!
Kate and Jean are committed to supporting smaller, family-owned grape growers. They believe in family companies and family-owned farms to support the consistency and quality of their wines.
