2016 FH Cabernet Sauvignon Blend
Appellation: Columbia Valley
Vineyards: Elephant Mountain (planted 1999), Klipsun (planted 2001 and 1990), Quintessence (planted 2010), Red Willow (planted 1991), Stone Tree (planted 2006), Sugarloaf (planted 2011)
Varietal Composition: 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 12% Malbec, 8% Petite Verdot
Cooperage: 100% French oak, of which 35% was new (Tonnellerie Cavin)
Alcohol: 14.6%
pH: 3.81
Aging: 22 months in French oak barrels
Bottling Date: August 28, 2018
Production: 25 barrels
Release Date: April 1, 2019
Wine Note: A fleshy Cabernet blend, with a broad swath of ripe fruit and bright, lingering flavors. We taste chocolate-coated black cherries, wild strawberry and exotic spices, with velvety tannins adding focus and length.
A barrel selection of six Columbia Valley vineyards that delivers a mouthful of flavor and the freshness that invites another glass.
There’s no reason to wait on the 2016 FH. Enjoy it at a party, on the patio or around the dinner table (but you'll be pleasantly surprised if you squirrel away a couple of bottles for three or four years).
Vintage Note: A no-problem growing season. The 2016 vintage started fast, with warm weather in early spring and into the start of summer. It cooled down a bit mid-summer, allowing Bordeaux red varieties to ripen gradually in good conditions. The end of the season was mild and dry, with Merlot and Malbec picked in the first half of September, Cabernet Sauvignon the last week of the month and Petite Verdot at the start of October.