2020 Grenache
NEW RELEASE! This limited wine is available exclusively to Club Members. Please ensure you are logged into your online account to place an order.
Tasting Notes
This medium-bodied wine exhibits aromas of candied raspberry, strawberry preserve, grenadine, and cherry juice. The wine enters the palate with a silk-like texture and balanced acidity. Secondary flavors of dried pomegranate, red licorice and a hint of white pepper embrace the mid-palate finishing with long, lingering notes of red berries and a touch of creamy, sweet, toasted oak.
Vineyard Designation
100% Estate Grown
Vintage Notes
The 2020 vintage will go down as a very memorable year. The growing season was exceptional with a mild winter, warm spring, and moderate summer. Bud break occurred 2 weeks earlier than normal and veraison was well ahead of schedule too. Just as we were preparing for an early start to harvest, wildfires in the Northwest created a thick cloud of smoke over Washington State. Concerns arose about exposure to smoke. Taking a cautious approach, we delayed harvest until the smoke cleared and conducted trials to determine the effect of smoke on our grapes. Fortunately, results showed no sign of smoke taint. Proximity to the source of smoke plays a big factor, and our vineyard was a long distance away. Overall, we have not seen any impact of smoke on the 2020 vintage. Another major event of this vintage was an early frost that occurred the second week of October. Our winemaking team worked tirelessly long hours leading up to the frost. By the time our vineyards had been impacted by the cold spell, our winery was stuffed with fermenting grapes and harvest was 95% complete. All remaining grapes were then hand-harvested and sorted with an optical sorter to remove any excessive M.O.G. or bad grapes. After our wines completed alcoholic fermentation, we were very pleased with the results. We at Airfield have another stunning vintage for you to enjoy. The 2020 wines showcase an abundance of ripe fruit aromatics, low tannin profiles, and exceptionally balanced finishes.
Winemaking Notes
Sourced from reserve tier blocks on our estate vineyard, the Grenache grapes were harvested in early October, de-stemmed but not crushed, and then sorted using our optical sorter to ensure only the cleanest fruit was sent to fermenters. The grapes were then cold soaked for 48 hours. After cold soaking, the grapes were warmed up and inoculated with a special yeast strain to begin fermentation. Grenache is a very delicate grape and must be treated as such, so our approach to extraction was very gentle – only 2 punchdowns per day with temperatures ranging between 84 to 87 degrees. After about 13 days of fermentation, the wine was then drained, and the grape skins were sent to the press to gently extract any remaining wine. The wine was then sent to French oak barrels and inoculated for malolactic fermentation. Once malolactic was complete, the lees were then stirred twice a month for 2 months to help create a rounder mouthfeel and finesse on the palate. Overall, the wine was aged for approximately 16 months in 100% 2-year old French oak barrels before being prepped for bottling. Our barrel selection was intentionally not to include new French Oak in order to allow the wines' bright red fruit characteristics to be the star of the show.
* Produced in a Vegan Manner (No animal byproducts used in production of this wine)
Food Pairing
Grilled Flank Steak with Polenta and Roasted Tomatoes
Roasted Chicken or Turkey with Herbs
Mushroom Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
Shepherd's Pie
Camembert, Manchego, Mild Cheddar, or Gouda
- Varietal Composition: 100% Grenache
- Appellation: Yakima Valley
- Cases Produced: 148 cases
- Alcohol: 14.2%
- pH: 3.79
- Acidity: 5.9g/L
- Ageability: Enjoy Now through 2033 with optimal maturity around 2028