TASTING
NOTES
"Vibrant fresh fruit aromas of cherries and juicy currant combine
with hints of herb in this Bordeaux-style blend, named for the
whistling trains that pass through the landscape of Eastern
Washington’s vineyards. The palate is full of the same sweet fruit
flavor matched with soft supple tannin and rich, sweet oak."-
Joy Andersen,
Winemaker
VINTAGE
A "perfect" ripening season with full crop yields and restrained
sugar levels led to outstanding wines from Washington state’s top
viticultural areas in 2008. Delayed slightly by cool spring weather
and a moderate summer, harvest began 10 days later than normal. Hot
weather in August provided ideal ripening conditions for grapes
across all varietals and harvest was quickly ramped up in order to
obtain fruit at the optimum ripeness.
VINEYARDS
Columbia Valley vineyards are located east of the Cascade
Mountains and receive just 6-8 inches of rainfall annually. Soils
are deep and sandy with low water-holding capacity and are nutrient
poor, which encourages fruit development rather than vine growth.
Warm, sunny days and cool evening temperatures create ideal
conditions for intense aroma, flavor and acidity development in the
ripening grapes.
WINEMAKING
Grapes are crushed and allowed to soak on the skins for 48 hours,
extracting color and tannin before fermentation is initiated with
Prise de Mousse yeast. Gentle sprayovers extracted color and
tannins three times per day. After 6 days on the skins, the wine is
pressed off and placed in stainless steel tanks to complete
fermentation. Malolactic fermentation is then initiated. Wine is
aged 15 months in French and American oak barrels. Whistlestop Red
is Snoqualmie’s classic Cabernet-Merlot blend, suited for pairing
with everyday meals.
TECHNICAL
DATA
Alcohol: 13.9%
Total Acidity: 0.53g /100ml
pH: 3.67
Blend: 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot
