- Lady in Red Holiday EditionThis wine possesses a deep color reminiscent of blackberry juice. In the aroma you will find luscious ripe cherry, blackberry, black currants, fig, plum, cranberries and dried herbs.
- Lady in WhiteOur white table wine has traditionally been a blend of Viognier, and Gewürztraminer, with a splash of Pinot Gris. This year a touch of Muscat also found its way in. The grapes were harvested simultaneously and blended as juice in the fermenter. The juice underwent a cool slow fermentation using Côte de Blanc yeast. The combination of these factors helped to preserve the fine fruit and floral qualities of the varieties. The fermentation was stopped at 0.8% Residual Sugar. The resulting wine is a marriage of spice and floral elements.
- Lady in Red 10th EditionThe fruit used to produce Lady In Red 10th Edition was grown at several outstanding locations around the Yakima Valley and Columbia Valley, including our own Kestrel View Estate Vineyard. Grapes from the chosen sites produce wines brimming with ripe black and red fruit flavors, coupled with generous full mouth feel. The fruit which composes Lady In Red 10th Edition was carefully picked at it height of maturity, then de-stemmed and crushed leaving 15% whole berries. It was fermented at 85°F, in small batches, for 7 to 10 days, then gently pressed so as not to extract any harsh tannins. Fifty percent was then aged in small oak barrels until bottling.
- Every grape from Kestrel View Estate is tended to and intended to, be blended into our Signature Series in a First Growth Bordeaux House Mentality. This presents the perfect canvas to create and design a multiple tiered system. From the Signature Series and Winemaker's Select Series our premier fruit can then be declassified to our Falcon Series; wines Flint builds at an everyday price point. With the Falcon Series, our consumers can purchase full varietals, or our Tribute blend for around fifteen to twenty dollars.
- 2010 SangioveseThis wine is nearly black with deep red and purple accents at its margins. It possesses aromas of cherry, cassis, blackberry, blueberry and dried herbs. On the palate you will experience an extremely full bodied and well balanced Sangiovese, with notes of vanilla, cedar and leather, intertwined with the dark cherry and blackberry. Because of the naturally high acidy of Sangiovese this wine is the perfect accompaniment to food. The 2009 was a cooler than average vintage. This means that the wine is tight and needs to breath. If you wish to enjoy it tonight with your spaghetti and meatballs, decanting will help to fully appreciate this gem.
- 2010 MerlotOur 2010 selection of Merlot is an exceptionally beautiful wine. The color is black sapphire. In the aroma and on the palate there are multiple layers of ripe red fruits and dark fruits such as raspberry, sweet cherry, dried cranberry, red currant, blackberry, elderberry and plum. There are also hints of savory herbs, white pepper, and straw. The wine is full bodied, complex, has exquisitely smooth tannins and a lingering fruit finish.
- 2010 SyrahAs always, the color is an inky purple crimson, centering to black. In the aroma and on the pallet you will find an abundance of ripe fruit flavors such as; black current, boysenberry, black cherry, cranberry, pomegranate and blueberry jam. Beneath the layers of fruit you will discover cardamom, cocoa, orange rind, fennel seed, and lavender. This is a rich full bodied, and complex wine. The velvety smooth mouth feel, supple soft tannins and lingering finish will leave you wanting just one more sip.
- 2010 TributeThe wine is black with dark crimson edges. In the aroma you will find ripe dark fruits such as; cherry, pomegranate, and blueberry. These fruit flavors are accompanied by dried herbs, cola, caramelized fruit, White pepper and floral aromas. On the palate you will receive bright flavors of cherry, berry, spice and plum jam. The body of the wine is full, yet sweet smooth. It's deliciously balanced with a lingering finish, and supple tannins.
- 2011 Cabernet SauvignonThe fruit was hand picked and sorted to remove any leaves that may have found there way into the bins. The tiny berries were removed from their stems and put into tanks. Once in tank they were pumped over twice daily for approximately seven days, or until the optimum color and flavor had been extracted, then pressed off to barrels. The wine then spent twenty-two months aging in small French, Hungarian and American oak barrels before being bottled.
- 2013 Old Vine ChardonnayOne hundred percent of this Chardonnay comes from our own Kestrel View Estate Vineyard. The Chardonnay was planted in 1972 and is the oldest Chardonnay in the state of Washington. Our vineyard is also unique in that the Chardonnay is the "Wente" clone and represents one of only a few Wente clone Chardonnay vineyards in the state. The Wente clone is know for being "shy bearing". This means it produces modest quantities of high quality fruit. The Wente clone also produces a different flavor and aroma profile. While still showing pear, honeysuckle, citrus and floral notes like the "other" Chardonnay clone, the Wente clone offers hints of mineral, nutmeg, clove, pineapple, mandarin orange and a slight Muscat note.
- 2013 RoseThe Rose is created from a process called Saigne'. Saigne' is a term that literally means to bleed. We bleed off some of the juice twelve to twenty-four hours after crushing to increase the skin to juice ratio. By doing this we create red wines that are darker, richer and more intense. To make the Rose I ferment the Saigne' in stainless steel at low temperatures. After fermentation the wine is filtered and bottled immediately to preserve the freshness and fruitiness of the wine.
- 2013 Sauvignon BlancThe wine is clear with just the faintest hint of green and sunshine yellow. In the nose you will find citrus aromas, lemon grass, straw, distinctive floral notes and minerality. Beneath the layers of citrus you will find passion fruit, gooseberry, melon, pear and fresh cut grass. The wine is heavy on aromatics with good mouth feel and structure. The result is a refreshing wine with crisp acidity.
- 2013 ViognierThe Viognier was hand picked and whole cluster pressed. The juice was chilled for several days before being racked off its lees. Next it was fermented at 53 degrees until nearly dry. By fermenting in stainless steel at very cool temperatures we were able to preserve the natural fruit characteristics of the Viognier grape.
- 2013 Pinot GrisWe chose to do this in the traditional style by allowing the natural hint of bronze to remain in order to avoid stripping the wine of flavor. The aromas are clean and crisp with overtones of citrus, Asian pear, honeysuckle, perfume, Myer lemon, and the characteristic minerality of Kestrel Vineyards. The flavors echo the aromas. The wine is light bodied, crisp and clean, with bright fruit and crisp acidity.
- Every grape from Kestrel View Estate is tended to and intended to, be blended into our Signature Series in a First Growth Bordeaux House Mentality. This presents the perfect canvas to create and design a multiple tiered system. From the Signature Series and Winemaker's Select Series our premier fruit can then be declassified to our Falcon Series; wines Flint builds at an everyday price point. With the Falcon Series, our consumers can purchase full varietals, or our Tribute blend for around fifteen to twenty dollars.
- 2009 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon90 Points from the Wine Advocate. This fine Cabernet Sauvignon, formerly known as Two Ton Cabernet, was created by thinning one block of Cabernet Sauvignon down to two tons per acre, this equates to leaving just one cluster per shoot or about sixteen clusters per vine. Of this block we chose eight rows and conducted another experiment, in which we tied each cluster upward, so that the weight of the fruit would not bend the stem. We made wine from each portion and then chose to blend them back together at bottling. The wines were both beautiful, with the one from the clusters that were tied upward being a little softer and more elegant.
- 2010 Cabernet FrancThe grapes came from Olsen Estate Vineyards, located a few miles northwest of Benton City. They are perched on a bench overlooking Corral Creek, a vast dry canyon that carves an impressive swath up into the Rattlesnake Mountains. The vines were planted in 1994 and tended to with the precision and care of an artist. The tiny berries were removed from their stems and placed into bins where they were punched down twice daily. A saingne was performed to further concentrate the colors and flavors. After fermentation the wine was barreled down in French oak for twenty-two months before being bottled.
- 2009 MalbecAll the Malbec was hand harvested from our Kestrel View Estate Vineyard, and was carefully sorted, removing any defective fruit, leaves, or stems. It was then destemmed and crushed into an open top fermenter, where it was punched down, twice daily to extract the maximum color and flavor. Malbec is a particularly fruity variety; typically it is the most deeply colored and intensely fruity grape variety we deal with. It is a little difficult, because it usually has really big berries and often has many berries that are not fully developed. The pulp is also an unusual color of florescent green. Every year I look at it in the bins and wonder; how am I going to make wine out of this? Every year it turns out wonderfully though.
- 2009 Co-ferment SyrahThe Syrah, Viognier, and Mourvedre were picked on the same day and destemmed and crushed into a fermenter, where they were pumped over twice daily during the fermentation process. By adding Viognier and Mourvedre to the Syrah we were able to create a Syrah with a floral-spice element that is actually darker in color than the Syrah would have been on its own, a phenomenon known as co-pigmentation. This is a great example of a Rhone style blend. As for the 4% Malbec; I guess I couldn't help myself.
- 2010 MourvedreThe wine is a blend of mostly Mourvédre, but was co-fermented with Grenache, Syrah and Malbec to coax out every nuance possible and to enrich the character and complexity of the wine. My instincts tell me that this is very important; to do blending prior to fermentation whenever possible. After draining and pressing, the wine was aged in small Hungarian, French, and American barrels for 26 months prior to bottling. Eighty-one percent of the grapes came form Olsen Vineyards. The remaining Nineteen percent came form Kestrel View Estate Vineyard, both are located high on the Roza, Northeast and North of Prosser. The Yakima Valley seem to be ideally suited for growing Rhone varietals, due to the long summer days that boast in excess of 16 hours of sunshine per day. Follow this with our extended autumns, of warm days and cool nights, factors perfect for producing grapes with ripe fruit flavors and good acidities.
- 2012 Wild Yeast ChardonnayOur vineyard is unique in that our Chardonnay is the "Wente" clone, one of only few Wente clone Chardonnay vineyards in the state. It is known for being "shy bearing" producing modest quantities of high quality fruit. It also produces a different flavor and aroma profile; while still showing pear, honeysuckle, citrus and floral notes like the "other" Chardonnay clone, the Wente clone offers hints of mineral, nutmeg, clove and a slight Muscat note.
- Every grape from Kestrel View Estate is tended to and intended to, be blended into our Signature Series in a First Growth Bordeaux House Mentality. This presents the perfect canvas to create and design a multiple tiered system. From the Signature Series and Winemaker's Select Series our premier fruit can then be declassified to our Falcon Series; wines Flint builds at an everyday price point. With the Falcon Series, our consumers can purchase full varietals, or our Tribute blend for around fifteen to twenty dollars.
- 2010 Raptor Red90 Points from the Wine Advocate. The 2010 Raptor Red Signature Series is an outstanding blend of 71% Caberent Sauvignon and 29% Malbec, Showing beautiful purity, with ample cassis, plum liqueur, pepper, ground herbs and chardcoal styled aromas and flavors all emerging from the glass. Medium to full-bodied, layered and nicely concentrated, with fresh acisity and a pure, clean feel, enjoy bottles over the coming decade.
- 2010 Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon91 points from the Wine Advocate. The grapes were harvested form Kestrel View Estate Vineyards and Olsen Estate Vineyards. The grapes were planted in 1972 and 1982 respectively, making them some of the oldest plantings in the state. They produce small intensely flavored crops, small canopies and small berries. The resulting wines are concentrated and elegant. These old vines are truly something special. The color is a rich purple-plum. In the aroma you will be greeted by ripe black cherry, red currents, raspberry, pomegranate, black pepper, caramelized sugar, and dried herbs. These intensified flavors glide across your palate as if in velvet slippers. The finish is elegant and refined, allowing sweet fruit flavors to repeat and linger. Decanting or aeration will help you to fully enjoy this delightful wine.
- 2011 Petit Verdot90 Points from the Wiine Advocate. Made from 93% Petit Verdot and 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2011 Petit Verdot Signature Series is a big, voluptuous and fruit-driven effort that offers up loads of boysenberry, blueberry, licorice, underbrush and sappy flower-like aromas and flavors. This full-bodied, rich and decadently styled effort has a big mid-palate, fabulous texture and solid overall freshness and purity. Aged 22 months in 30% new oak, it will have 12 to 15 years of longevity. Notes from Robert Parker: Made from 93% Petit Verdot and 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2011 Petit Verdot Signature Series is a big, voluptuous and fruit-driven effort that offers up loads of boysenberry, blueberry, licorice, underbrush and sappy flower-like aromas and flavors. This full-bodied, rich and decadently styled effort has a big mid-palate, fabulous texture and solid overall freshness and purity. Aged 22 months in 30% new oak, it will have 12 to 15 years of longevity.
- 2009 Old Vine MerlotOne hundred percent of the fruit came from Old Vines. The Merlot from our Estate Vineyard was planted in 1972, making the vines some of the oldest in Washington State. The grapes were hand harvested and carefully sorted, removing any defective fruit, leaves, or stems. It was then destemmed and crushed into open top fermenters, where it was punched down, twice daily to extract the maximum color and flavor. After the initial fermentation it was pressed to small French Oak barrels where it matured for 22 months. We believe Washington Merlot to be world class, and ours is a great example of that.
- 2010 PortOur Port is created in the vineyard by reducing the crop to one cluster per shoot. The fruit is then allowed to ripen as long as possible. We harvested the Syrah and Tinta Roriz (Portuguese name), AKA Tempranillo (Spanish name), in late October. The sugars were high, and the flavors were jammy; perfect for the production of a fortified Port Style wine. The fermentations started out as they always do, but were arrested at around 14 Brix, with the addition of neutral brandy spirits. By doing this the rich ripe fruit flavors are preserved, for you to enjoy. The high alcohol and sugar combat oxidation and aging in the wine, allowing you to have a snapshot of what the flavors were like in the fruit in late October 2009 for many years to come.