2018 Hedges Estate Red
Tasting notes
Black fruits, dark chocolate, vanilla, cumin, cedar dust, butterscotch and dried herbs. Lush chocolate custard with cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, ginger and licorice. Full, rich, lush with gorgeous fruit and spice notes. Long silky finish with flavors of blackberry, black pepper and touch of vanilla. This wine has a classic Hedges style with a modern touch, very enjoyable now and will age for years to come.
Cellaring: This wine, like other Red Mountain wines, is best now with food, but will age well. 10+ years.
Production notes
Grapes are from Red Mountain AVA vineyards within a 2 mile radius of the winery: Hedges, Bel’ Villa, Les Gosses, Magdalena and Jolet. The wine was destemmed and partially crushed into stainless steel fermenters where it was pumped over twice daily until desired tannin extraction was achieved. It was then pressed to barrels where it underwent malo-lactic fermentation, then racked off lees and 100% barrel aged for 18 months in 33% new oak, American (63%) and French oak (37%).
Blend – 34% Merlot 36% Cabernet Sauvignon 13% Syrah 10% Cabernet Franc 6% Malbec, 1% Petit Verdot
James Suckling 93 Points
About Hedges Family Estate
It was 1986 when Washington native Tom Hedges found his first employment in the wine industry marketing American wines in Taiwan. From that humble beginning, Hedges Cellars, then a “virtual” winery, found its first customer: the government of Sweden. Tom and his wife Anne-Marie marketed their Cabernet/Merlot blend to foreign buyers exclusively for two years before going domestic and opening up North American distribution. Still without their own winery, they took a chance buying acreage on an obscure little hill called Red Mountain.
The Hedges have concentrated their efforts on Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and the concept of terroir since their first vintage in 1987. With Anne-Marie Hedges’ roots and childhood in the Champagne region of France, it was only natural that a French-style chateau would be built on the slopes of Red Mountain amongst their vines.
Their daughter, Sarah Hedges-Goedhart, is the head winemaker with their son Christophe Hedges being the General Manager. Hedges Cellars transitioned to Hedges Family Estate, and farming practices became more focused towards being organic, vegan, and some of our vineyards are being certified Demeter. Our future direction is clear: we will continue to work as a family to unite farming, winemaking, and the promotion of our wines and the Red Mountain AVA.
Tasting notes
Black fruits, dark chocolate, vanilla, cumin, cedar dust, butterscotch and dried herbs. Lush chocolate custard with cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, ginger and licorice. Full, rich, lush with gorgeous fruit and spice notes. Long silky finish with flavors of blackberry, black pepper and touch of vanilla. This wine has a classic Hedges style with a modern touch, very enjoyable now and will age for years to come.
Cellaring: This wine, like other Red Mountain wines, is best now with food, but will age well. 10+ years.
Production notes
Grapes are from Red Mountain AVA vineyards within a 2 mile radius of the winery: Hedges, Bel’ Villa, Les Gosses, Magdalena and Jolet. The wine was destemmed and partially crushed into stainless steel fermenters where it was pumped over twice daily until desired tannin extraction was achieved. It was then pressed to barrels where it underwent malo-lactic fermentation, then racked off lees and 100% barrel aged for 18 months in 33% new oak, American (63%) and French oak (37%).
Blend – 34% Merlot 36% Cabernet Sauvignon 13% Syrah 10% Cabernet Franc 6% Malbec, 1% Petit Verdot
James Suckling 93 Points
About Hedges Family Estate
It was 1986 when Washington native Tom Hedges found his first employment in the wine industry marketing American wines in Taiwan. From that humble beginning, Hedges Cellars, then a “virtual” winery, found its first customer: the government of Sweden. Tom and his wife Anne-Marie marketed their Cabernet/Merlot blend to foreign buyers exclusively for two years before going domestic and opening up North American distribution. Still without their own winery, they took a chance buying acreage on an obscure little hill called Red Mountain.
The Hedges have concentrated their efforts on Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and the concept of terroir since their first vintage in 1987. With Anne-Marie Hedges’ roots and childhood in the Champagne region of France, it was only natural that a French-style chateau would be built on the slopes of Red Mountain amongst their vines.
Their daughter, Sarah Hedges-Goedhart, is the head winemaker with their son Christophe Hedges being the General Manager. Hedges Cellars transitioned to Hedges Family Estate, and farming practices became more focused towards being organic, vegan, and some of our vineyards are being certified Demeter. Our future direction is clear: we will continue to work as a family to unite farming, winemaking, and the promotion of our wines and the Red Mountain AVA.