Tasting Notes
Generous and round offering delicious, red ripe plum, blueberry and currant aromas and flavors, with a lip-smacking, spicy finish.

Vintage 
An unusual spring heat wave just before bloom resulted in smaller-than-average berry size in 2007 adding concentration and flavor to the finished grapes. Good set after bloom, ideal summer growing conditions, and warm fall days and cool nights that ripened grapes slowly and evenly gave winemakers a near-perfect vintage that produced wines with excellent natural acidity and deep, fresh flavor.

Vineyards 
Grapes for this delicious wine were sourced primarily from Novelty Hill’s family-owned estate vineyard, Stillwater Creek (70%), on the Royal Slope of the Frenchman Hills. Planted on a south-facing slope, it is one of the steepest sites in the Columbia Valley – up to 22% in many parts of the vineyard.  First planted in 2000, the vineyard has quickly distinguished itself as one of the most exciting new Columbia Valley sites of the decade.

Winemaking
• Gentle pumpovers during fermentation helped extract generous color and flavor while producing supple tannins
• Gravity racked every three months to soften and clarify the wine
• Aged 18 months in predominately French oak barrels, both new and one-year-old

Blend -  35% Syrah; 26% Merlot; 11% Cabernet Franc; 9% Cabernet Sauvignon; 6% Sangiovese; 6% Mourvèdre; 5% Petit Verdot; 2% Malbec

Case Production - 5,581 cases

Alcohol - 14.4%

pH - 3.70

Total Acidity - 0.54 g/100 ml


Mike Januik, Winemaker