1996 Tradition
ESTATE GROWN - Columbia Valley

Accolades & Awards

The Seattle Times (Tom Stockley)    SPECTACULAR, STERLING.  Dark garnet in color.  Wine displays multiple flavors of blackberry accompanied by tobacco, chocolate, and nutmeg spice.  Quite extracted, but with a roundness that softens the overall effect.  Layers of fruit that last on the finish.  Could age for five years or longer.  (September 1999)
Wine Spectator     87 POINTS.  Lean and herbal, this is distinctive for its bay leaf, mint and mineral overtones to the basic black cherry flavor, all of which echoes on the smooth finish.  Drink now through 2004.  (November 1999)
Northwest Palate    RECOMMENDED.  Dark garnet color with aromas of berry fruit and a faint earthy note.  Rich flavors of cassis, chocolate, and toasty oak.  Long, black currant and chocolate aftertaste balances tannins.  Cellar 2-4 years.  (September 1999)

Vintage
In late January 1996, minimum temperatures dropped below zero for five consecutive days throughout the Columbia Valley. Most vines were no match for those sub-zero temperatures and suffered such severe damage that they did not produce a crop. A small number of Cabernet Sauvignon vines from our Estate vineyard did recover, producing just a few tons of highly extracted, delicious fruit. The spring following this harsh winter remained cold but a warm summer allowed a complete ripening of the grapes. We harvested only a few tons of Cabernet Sauvignon on the 12th of October and were so pleased with the quality of our grapes that we decided to produce a small amount of Tradition.

Winemaking
After eight days of maceration and fermentation, the grapes were pressed and the wine was settled in stainless steel tanks. The clean wine was then racked to barrels (half French and half American) for a 13-month aging period. At this stage, the winemaker and the owner set aside the most promising barrels and experimented with various blends. They decided on adding a small amount of Merlot (5%) to enhance complexity, then gently racked the wine to French oak for an additional six months of aging. Our 1996 Tradition was not filtered prior to bottling.

Winemaker Notes
Following the tradition of the great Bordeaux, our 1996 Tradition is elegant, refined and generous. Ripe black fruit, brown spice and chocolate aromas lead to a supple, yet rich mouthfeel. Black cherry and spice flavors from the Cabernet blend well with cassis and blueberry from the Merlot, creating a silky rich aromatic expression. Very well proportioned acidity and a lively serving of fairly soft tannins also play an important role in giving our Tradition structure and the ability to develop over the next decade and beyond.

Wine Data
pH: 3.56    

TA: 0.65%    

Alcohol: 13.5%    

Production: 166 cases (750ml)

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GORDON BROTHERS FAMILY VINEYARDS
671 Levey Road, Pasco, WA 99301
PHONE: (509) 547-6331
FAX: (509) 547-6305
EMAIL: info@gordonwines.com
WEB: http://www.gordonwines.com

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