2008 Marie's View
THE STORY:
2008 was a cool year. We were forced to hang fruit extra-long at the end of the ripening season to reach our hoped-for 26 brix. Dodging rain and cold we decided to just go for it and see what happened if we waited. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. It worked. Making this wine required a fair amount of patience and familiarity with risk. It’s a damn good thing I have climbed a few big walls prior to becoming a winemaker. Blending was nothing short of a heavenly experiment that worked.
Harvest Note: Approximately 26 brix at picking.
PRODUCTION
161 cases
RELEASE DATE
December 7, 2012
| Vintage | 2008 |
| Varietal | Red Blend |
| Varietal Composition | 37% Cabernet Sauvignon
33% Syrah
12% Merlot
6% Petit Verdot
6% Cab Franc
6% Sangiovese |
| Appellation | Horse Heaven Hills |
| Vineyard | Wallula |
| Acid | 0.6 grams/100ml |
| PH | 3.5 |
| Aging | 50% new Millet French oak and 50% neutral French oak for 24 months, then blended to a neutral tank for 3 months of flavor profile assimilation. |
| Fermentation | Soaked on skins for 15 days with cool fermentation in the range of 70 degrees Fahrenheit. |
| Alcohol | 14.30% |
| Wine Style | Red Wine |
| Volume | 750 ml |
| Bottling Date | 04/21/2011 |
93 POINTS - Wine Advocate
"A smoking blend of 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Syrah, 12% Merlot and the balance Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Sangiovese, the 2008 Marie’s View boasts fantastic aromas and flavors of ripe black fruits, spring flowers, new saddle leather and violets on the nose. Spending 24 months in 50% new French oak, this full-bodied, voluptuously styled blend has a full, rich texture, beautiful freshness and fine-grained tannins that rein in the finish and provide additional focus and cut. A big, ripe wine, it’s drinking well now and should have another 4-5 years of longevity. Drink now-2018."
100% Wallula Vineyard
Considered by some to be the best vineyard site in Washington state, Wallula Vineyard is a picturesque growing location nestled high above the mighty Columbia River south of Kennewick. The vineyard is planted on south-facing slopes which vary from 2% up to 30% grade and its perimeter totals 9 miles of varied terrain. Of this perimeter, the shore of the Columbia River provides nearly 3.5 miles of waterfront. From the river's edge at 320 feet above sea level, the property climbs a distance of nearly 3.5 miles to its peak elevation of 1367 feet. The lower elevations of the property provide ideal growing conditions for ultra-premium reds while conditions at the upper elevations allow for high quality whites to be grown. The river is of utmost importance as the water acts as a massive insulator where during the day heat accumulates quickly and at night it provides a cooling effect once the sun goes down.
Wallula's beauty as well as its suitability to winegrapes is due in part to the huge Missoula floods that raced down the Columbia River during the last ice age. The surging waters deposited Shano silt loam soils on the site, and carved the steep, basalt-rimmed canyon walls atop which the vineyards are planted.
Rob Newsom
Rob Newsom, the Louisiana-born founder of Washington State’s already legendary Boudreaux Cellars, was inspired and tutored by Leonetti Cellar icon Gary Figgins. This former professional alpinist, ice climbing pioneer, and developer of the Gore-Tex fly-fishing wader, is known widely for his bold, rich cabernet sauvignons. Never afraid to experiment, smooth exotic blends are one of Rob’s specialties.
His background in musical performance, cooking and grilling, scientific analysis, and marketing combine with his sly sense of humor and global experience to make Rob engaging and entertaining. Rob was chosen as Seattle Magazine’s Best New Winemaker of the Year in 2007. He is serving his second term on the board of directors of the Washington Wine Institute and also serves on the board of Acoustic Sound, Inc. producers of Wintergrass.
