Requiem Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley, 2021

Requiem is a blend of grapes from six sites across the Columbia Valley, and specifically from three AVAs: Walla Walla (45%), Horse Heaven Hills (40%), and Red Mountain (15%). Each component is vinified separately and then undergoes a series of blending trials, looking for purity of fruit, complexity and outstanding quality that consistantly overperforms.

WALLA WALLA AVA The cut diamond shape of the Walla Walla AVA not only defines the region’s shape, but also alludes to the many facets of the area. We work with four vineyards, with two soil types - both wind blown silts (loess) - one over basalt bedrock and the other over marine sediments. There is quite a bit of diversity in terms of climate and geology with rainfall ranges from 7 inches per year from western sites to 22 inches in the eastern foothills.

HORSE HEAVEN HILLS AVA Vineyards in Horse Heaven Hills are on the south facing slopes along the Columbia River. The river aids in moderating the extreme fluctuations that affect the Columbia Valley, making HHH less prone to frost. Intense wind is also a major factor, producing grapes with thicker skins and reduced fungal pressure. It is also one of the driest (of an already impossibly arid area) with an average of only 7-9 inches of rain per growing season.

RED MOUNTAIN AVA Red Mountain is the smallest, and warmest of the Columbia Valley sub-appellations, with extreme diurnal shifts that often drop from 90° to 50°. The wind blown silt soils are over the glacial outflow from the Missoula floods and have high alkalinity and calcium carbonate. The southwest slopes are ideally situated for prolonged sun exposure. Here, the Cascade Mountain rain shadow is especially pronounced, with average rainfall at only 5-7 inches.