2006 Sandpiper

Lively aromas of dried roses, currant, lavendar, anise, and pepper are interwoven with nuances of cocoa, tanned leather and humus. The complex aromatics reverberate on the palate and are framed by opulent huckleberry and blackberry fruit and plum. The palate is soft and round with exceptional length and balance.

The 2006 growing season was punctuated by extreme weather: flooding during the dormant season did little to sleeping vines, but made national news; a record-setting heat wave in midsummer was nerve-wracking but ultimately caused little damage to crops, which were a bit behind in ripening - it may even have helped the vines “catch up.” Seasonal weather returned in August, allowing for some concentrated ripening time through to October.

The Porter Estate Merlot was harvested on October 2nd, 2006. The Porter Estate Cabernet Sauvignon was harvested on November 1st, 2006. All grapes were picked by hand and fermented in small, one and two ton fermenters using a gravity flow system for crush. A five day cold soak period preceded a warm fermentation peaking at 90°F. The fermenters were punched down by hand 3 to 4 times a day during the fermentation period. After fermentation was complete, the grapes were kept in contact with the wine as the tannins softened and continued to provide structure and roundness to the wine. Upon pressing, the wine went directly to 100% new French oak cooperage. The wine was then aged for 24 months prior to bottling with rackings at 3 – 4 month intervals throughout the aging period. The final blend was determined through multiple technical blend trials and tastings to be the most unique Merlot-based blend we could attain.

98 cases

   Download the 2006 Sandpiper datasheet