Columbia Crest Winery Private Reserve Red Walter Clore Columbia Valley 2003

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Starting at: $36^.29

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Winery:

Columbia Crest Winery

Varietal:

Bordeaux Blend

Region:

USA > Washington > Columbia Valley

Type:

Red Wine

Color:

Drink Dates:

Drink Now - 2018

UPC:

 

User Tags:  oak - heavy, berry, fruit, young, acidic, drink now, cellar, finish - long, rich, blackberry 

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What to Expect

The classic Bordeaux blends rely on either Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon for the bulk of the wine with additions of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec helping to add complexity, color, body and structure to the finished wine.

Winemakers Notes

2003 Walter Clore Private Reserve
93 pts - Wine Advocate
90 pts - Wine Spectator

Tasting Notes
“A classic Bordeaux-style winemaking protocol enhances the aromatics of earth, coconut, blackberry and slight mint in this red blend. Fruit and oak are perfectly balanced to yield a very complex chocolate-cherry-blackberry lingering finish. This is a very seductive, hedonistic experience in the glass.” -Ray Einberger, Winemaker

Growing Season

* Vintage 2003 began with a typical bud break in early April.
* Bloom followed in early read more...June. Warm, dry weather con- ditions during this phase (the start of fruit maturation) contributed to the uniformity of berry maturation at the end of the season.
* High heat accumulation during late summer created excellent ripening conditions.
* Very modes precipitation in August and September cooled the vineyards and slowed the ripening process.
* At harvest, vineyards across the Columbia Valley had excel- lent physiological maturity and flavor development across varietals.

Vineyards

* The fruit for the Walter Clore Private Reserve was picked from Columbia Crest’s premier vineyard sites. Vineyards located on the Wahluke Slope offer aromatics, texture and complexity; Cold Creek sites contribute flavor and fruiti ness; and Horse Heaven Hills fruit introduces balance and body.
* The balance between warm daytime temperatures and cooler evenings concentrated aromatics and enhanced complexity.
* The appellation’s low rainfall stressed the vines, yielding concentrated fruit with depth and varietal expression.

Vinification

* Hand-picked grapes were crushed with 20% to 30% whole berries remaining.
* Cold soaking on the skins for two days softened tannins and intensified color.
* After the seven-day primary fermentation, lots were pressed, blended and placed into new French oak barrels for malolactic fermentation.
* The traditional Bordeaux winemaking protocol included barrel aging for two years with barrel-to-barrel racking at three month intervals. Barrels were topped weekly during the first six months, and egg white fining occurred after 18 months.

Technical Data

* Total acidity: 0.57 g/100ml
* pH: 3.71
* Alcohol: 14.2%
* Blend: 56.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36.2% Merlot, 7.3% Cabernet Franc    (hide)

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