About THE WINE:
The Middleton Family has been working the land in Washington State for five generations. With Cadaretta the family aims to craft wines that stand among Washington’s best. The winery is named for a lumber schooner used by the family company in the first part of the 20th Century. The Middleton estate Southwind Vineyard is located just south of the city of Walla Walla. The winery is in the city of Walla Walla.
Our Syrah combines several interesting elements:
• Fruit from our estate Southwind Vineyard (Syrah and Viognier);
• Co-fermenting a small percentage of Viognier with the Syrah, for mouthfeel and aromatics;
• Using a combination of native and inoculate yeast fermentations, for complexity;
• Bottling unfined and unfiltered, to retain the full character of the barreled wine.
On the nose: our 2012 Syrah offers black raspberry and Bing Cherry fruit, with hints of tobacco leaf, nutmeg, and anise.
In the mouth: the wine presents with a soft entry with plum and Bing cherry fruit, plus fine vanilla and oak toastiness. The finish is long, with a classic dried fruit note.
VARIETAL COMPOSITION & GRAPE SOURCES:
• 43% Syrah (Stone Tree Vineyard, Wahluke Slope)
• 28% Syrah (Gamache Vineyard, Columbia Valley)
• 14% Syrah (Southwind Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley)
• 13% Grenache (Monette’s Vineyard, Walla Walla)
• 2% Viognier (Southwind Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley, co-fermented with Gamache Syrah)
APPELLATION: Columbia Valley
COOPERAGE: 17 months in small oak barrels (57% new), a combination of French (86%) and American (14%) oak.
TA: 5.7 g/L
pH: 3.82
ALCOHOL: 14.6% by volume