2020 Mourvedre
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
Our 2020 Mourvèdre displays aromas of cherry and blackberry with undertones of white pepper. The palate features a luxurious silk-like texture and voluptuous mouthfeel. Secondary flavors of bramble berry, smoked cedar plank, and fresh cigar box are layered with notes of black peppercorn finishing with lingering flavors of toasted oak and velvety tannins.
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 Mourvèdre was harvest in the middle of October at optimal ripeness. The grapes were 100% destemmed grapes but not crushed, then sorted using an optical sorter before being pumped to a small stainless-steel tank for fermentation. After a 48-hour cold soak, the grapes and juice were warmed up and allowed to ferment as a wild ferment. By utilizing the native yeasts of the grapes, it gives the wine added depth and darker flavors. Gentle extraction methods were incorporated to create a wine of balance and one that showcases the unique traits of the Mourvèdre grape. These methods included a gentle punch down in the morning, then a gentle pump over in the evening to incorporate more oxygen into the fermentation. Fermentation lasted approximately 12 days with temperature closely monitored as not to exceed 86°F. After fermentation was complete, the grapes were sent to the press for a gentle extraction, then sent directly to French oak barrels and inoculated for malolactic fermentation. Following malolactic fermentation, the lees were stirred in each barrel for two months to help create a rounder mouthfeel and added finesse on the palate. Overall, the wine was aged in French oak for 16 months (20% new, 35% 2-year-old, and 45% neutral French oak). This mix of new to neutral French oak was strategically selected to create the perfect balance for this wine, allowing the exotic aromatics to be the star of the show while creating layers of creaminess and complexity.
* This wine is considered Vegan made, meaning no animal byproducts were used in the production of this wine.
Food Pairing
Cumin-Crusted Lamb Rack with Mole Sauce
Barbecued Turkey Skewers with Caramelized Sage Onions
Steak Au Poivre
Fontina or Camembert
- Varietal Composition: 100% Mourvèdre
- Appellation: Yakima Valley
- Cases Produced: 71 cases
- Alcohol: 14%
- pH: 3.69
- Acidity: 6.1g/L
- Ageability: Enjoy now through 2030 with optimal maturity around 2027.