Friday Tastings (4 to 7 in the Wine Cellar) Nov - 21 Gordon Brothers Family Vineyards 21 November 2008, 4 - 7 PM Kamiak White, 2007 Tasting Night: $8.78 Regular: $9.75 The 2007 Kamiak White is Chardonnay based which provides a soft luscious background. The Chardonnay was barrel aged and the lees were stirred on a weekly basis. To give the wine structure Sauvignon Blanc was used. Fermenting the wine in stainless steel allowed the wine to retain its natural acidity and crisp citrus flavors. The final component was a late harvest Gewurztraminer. Letting the grapes hang till the end of harvest increased the concentration of flavors and left some natural residual sugar adding just a hint of sweetness to the Kamiak White. Kamiak Red, 2006 Tasting Night: $11.48 Regular: $ 12.75 After harvest has been completed the evaluation of the individual wines takes place. Wines for the Kamiak Cellar Select program are chosen based upon their fruit forward character and soft approachable tannins. These wines are carefully blended in the cellar and returned to barrel for a total of 18 months of barrel age. A seductive, smoky aroma greets the nose, with hints of cherry and berries. A burst of bright, cherry flavor excites the palate. More subtle flavors of lingonberry, blackberry and toasted pecans linger on the finish. Pair this wine with a wonderful smoked brisket, a grilled bratwurst or braised short-rib. Chardonnay, 2007 Tasting Night: $12.14 Regular: $ 13.49 Our Chardonnay grapes were hand picked and brought to the winery in half-ton bins. The grapes were then whole cluster pressed without destemming, and gently squeezed. The juice was allowed to settle overnight and racked the next day to its fermentation vessel. Half of the juice was taken to barrel, a mix of new and old, for fermentation. The other half was racked to stainless steel for fermentation. A mix of yeast strains were used to help develop complexity. After the alcohol fermentation was complete malo-lactic fermentation was started and carried out to completion. The wines were then sulfured and weekly stirring of the yeast lees was initiated. Prior to blending the individual wines were given a brief rest so their individual personalities could develop. The wines were then blended, fined, filtered and bottled. Syrah, 2005 Tasting Night: $17.72 Regular: $ 19.75 The 2005 Estate Grown Syrah was harvested at peak ripeness and gently crushed into open top stainless steel fermentation tanks. The skins and juice were allowed to cold soak for 48 hours prior to the addition of cultured yeast. This process creates darker colors and enhances the ripeness of flavors. After fermentation was completed, the finished wine was drawn off and the skins were pressed. The entire vintage was aged in small oak barrels. Enticing aromas of cherry, dried blueberries and spice introduce themselves in this big, bold Syrah. Earthy flavors of cedar, leather, pepper and espresso linger into a well-balanced finish. Pair this beautiful Syrah with grilled, smoked leg of lamb or peppercorn steak. Tradition, 2003 Tasting Night: $38.69 Regular: $ 42.99 After picking, the Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah grapes were gently crushed into stainless steel fermenting tanks. The skins and juice were allowed to cold soak for a number of days prior to the addition of cultured yeast. This process creates darker colors and enhances the ripeness of the flavors. After fermentation was completed, the finished wine was drawn off and the skins were pressed. All of the wine was aged in small oak barrels, the majority from French forests, for 18 months. At this time, the best wines of the vintage were blended and placed back into French oak barrels for an additional 22 months of aging. Dark Ruby in color, this wine displays multiple aromas of cassis, spice, cocoa powder, dark berries and a hint of coffee. Lush, jammy, blackberry fruitiness is noticed immediately. This combines with vanilla, cranberry and cherry flavors. The tannins are fine grained, giving this wine a supple, elegant mouth-feel. A lingering finish of black cherry, toasted, sweet oak and a hint of coconut make this wine refined and generous. Dec - 31 Join us each weekend for our Friday Night Tasting from 4-7pm in the Wine Cellar. Tickets are $5 and include fresh-baked bread and cheese tailored to complement the tasting.