In a way, it’s our main job. Yes, we guide the trajectory and make a thousand meticulous decisions, but the wine ultimately shapes itself. So we check in. This means tromping through the vineyard frequently as harvest approaches and popping grapes in our mouths—tasting the flesh and skins for flavor development and crunching the seeds in search of readiness. We use a refractometer and pH meter to check on ripeness and acidity. After the grapes are picked, we’re checking in on fermentations—the scents, the statistics, the hissing and crackling sounds. Then for months (sometimes almost two years) we continue tasting and tending each barrel, watching as spirit and structure come into focus.
FINALLY, THE MAGIC
Wine demands patience. In due time, we get to check in by opening a bottle and enjoying a glass. It’s fun and fascinating. What is the wine’s personality right now? How is the mountain expressing itself through this one? We are also examining the outcomes of our decisions: farming techniques, harvest date, barrel selection, blending choices, and so forth.
This month, we’re checking in on the 2014 Cougar Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon, grown in a storybook-pretty portion of Stonestreet Estate Vineyard at 1,200 feet elevation. When we first released this wine, we wrote: “Dazzling acidity supports excellent aging potential.” Nailed the prediction—at the decade mark, its huckleberry and soft red fruit notes are even more vibrant, the tobacco and pencil shavings have deepened, and fresh details have been engraved on the palate. “Elegance is what I think of with the 2014 vintage,” says our winemaker, Kristina Shideler.
IT WASN’T ALWAYS THAT WAY
“2012 and 2013 were really highly acclaimed, and I feel like 2014 fell in their shadow a little bit.” Kristina explains that ‘14 did not have the showy ripeness or big tannins of the two preceding vintages, so the fruit initially seemed underwhelming in the cellar. “But as the wines evolved in barrel, we saw that it was a really elegant vintage with fantastic aromatics. It took a while to show its colors, but by the time the wines were released in bottle, they were so beautiful.”
We aged the 2014 Cougar Ridge in barrel for 18 months using 29% new French oak. We suggest drinking a bottle now and laying a few down so you can keep checking in over the next decade—it’s your turn.
We have opened our library through November 21, 2024.
