Wine Article
2004 Long Shadows Wineries Chester-Kidder
Last edited on 6/15/2008 by RPerro
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From winery website: 2004 Long Shadows Chester-Kidder
Winemaker: Allen Shoup named this wine in honor of his grandfather, Charles Chester, and his grandmother, Maggie Kidder. He has a purpose in mind; a vision really, and that is to offer his guests a glass of Chester-Kidder and say, “this is how good a Washington red wine can be”. Allen picked Gilles Nicault , former winemaker for Woodward Canyon, to bring this vision to fruition.
Tasting Notes: Deep and concentrated, the 2004 Chester-Kidder is a wine with pure, ripe blackberry and dark chocolate aromas and flavors. Rich, lingering tannins coat the palate, giving the wine its vibrant mouth feel and long, satisfying finish.
Vintage: The 2004 Columbia Valley growing season produced dark, balanced wine with great intensity and natural acidity. The vintage was marked by a hot summer, cool September, and a warm October that finished ripening grapes late into the season. While the late ripening was tricky for some vineyards that didn’t shoot thin because of a January freeze, the long fall harvest proved advantageous for Long Shadows because winemaker Gilles Nicault worked alongside growers throughout the season to keep yields low, resulting in grapes with intense flavor and rich tannins.
Winemaking: Chester-Kidder is a blended red wine styled to showcase Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, two outstanding blending partners that represent the best of the Columbia Valley. Aged for 28 months in ninety-percent tight-grain French oak allows the fruit and oak to integrate completely and gives the wine time to develop round tannins and richness; ten percent Eastern European oak adds complexity and spice.
Vineyards: The 2004 Chester-Kidder represents a diverse collection of outstanding Columbia Valley vineyards sourced largely from the Horse Heaven Hills, Red Mountain and Wahluke Slope. Horse Heaven and Red Mountain Cabernet give the wine texture and concentration; Horse Heaven Syrah adds dark flavors and color; Cabernet Franc from //Weinbau// (Wahluke Slope), one of the Columbia Valley’s best Cabernet Franc vineyards, adds aromatic intensity; and a small amount of Petit Verdot from //Stone Tree Vineyard// on the Wahluke Slope adds intensity and tannins to enhance the mouth feel.
Alcohol: 14.7%
pH: 3.82
TA: 0.58 grams/100ml
Blend: 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Syrah, 10% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot.
Release Date: July 2007
Production: 1797 cases
Winemaker: Allen Shoup named this wine in honor of his grandfather, Charles Chester, and his grandmother, Maggie Kidder. He has a purpose in mind; a vision really, and that is to offer his guests a glass of Chester-Kidder and say, “this is how good a Washington red wine can be”. Allen picked Gilles Nicault , former winemaker for Woodward Canyon, to bring this vision to fruition.
Tasting Notes: Deep and concentrated, the 2004 Chester-Kidder is a wine with pure, ripe blackberry and dark chocolate aromas and flavors. Rich, lingering tannins coat the palate, giving the wine its vibrant mouth feel and long, satisfying finish.
Vintage: The 2004 Columbia Valley growing season produced dark, balanced wine with great intensity and natural acidity. The vintage was marked by a hot summer, cool September, and a warm October that finished ripening grapes late into the season. While the late ripening was tricky for some vineyards that didn’t shoot thin because of a January freeze, the long fall harvest proved advantageous for Long Shadows because winemaker Gilles Nicault worked alongside growers throughout the season to keep yields low, resulting in grapes with intense flavor and rich tannins.
Winemaking: Chester-Kidder is a blended red wine styled to showcase Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, two outstanding blending partners that represent the best of the Columbia Valley. Aged for 28 months in ninety-percent tight-grain French oak allows the fruit and oak to integrate completely and gives the wine time to develop round tannins and richness; ten percent Eastern European oak adds complexity and spice.
Vineyards: The 2004 Chester-Kidder represents a diverse collection of outstanding Columbia Valley vineyards sourced largely from the Horse Heaven Hills, Red Mountain and Wahluke Slope. Horse Heaven and Red Mountain Cabernet give the wine texture and concentration; Horse Heaven Syrah adds dark flavors and color; Cabernet Franc from //Weinbau// (Wahluke Slope), one of the Columbia Valley’s best Cabernet Franc vineyards, adds aromatic intensity; and a small amount of Petit Verdot from //Stone Tree Vineyard// on the Wahluke Slope adds intensity and tannins to enhance the mouth feel.
Alcohol: 14.7%
pH: 3.82
TA: 0.58 grams/100ml
Blend: 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Syrah, 10% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot.
Release Date: July 2007
Production: 1797 cases