We are having fun harvesting!
This is our 8th harvest and it’s fun to play with our new toys! We were able to tank ferment our Drink Washington State Pinot Noir as we bought a new 1000 gallon tank this year. It was nice to be able to do pump overs on 1 lot rather than 3 lots of punch downs. The Pinot was our first lot we brought in and the only lot we have pressed out (post fermentation) so far.
This year was a stressful year for a lot of the vineyards in Washington as it was really freaking hot! This caused a lot of the vineyards we work with to come in light with yields. To put it in perspective, for the Pinot Noir we had planned on getting 5 tons total and we only received 3.5T. The low yields and heat don’t mean it’s going to be a bad year, nor does it mean the contrary. It just means that we have less of a margin of error this year.
We are currently 50% of the way in for harvest. We are far away from being done though, as we have a long way to go. We still have whites and reds to pull in and they are getting close to harvest. I would say by our next newsletter we should be 100% in and pressed out almost all our lots. After we press the lots out it is almost time to put the barrels to rest for a couple years. That being said, the light is at the end of the tunnel, but it’s so far away we still can’t see it yet.
Every year is different and every year is memorable. I am very blessed to be able to do what I love for a living. I am also very blessed to have a great team behind me every step of the way. This was true 4 years ago and still is today. I have a very loyal personality and I see the reciprocal in my staff everyday. I love to share my passion with you, so thank you for allowing me to be me!
Our Good Vibes wine club members will be receiving their allocations in the next week. The first 4 wines listed below we only made 2 barrels of, so only 42 cases produced in total. If you visit other wineries you will know that 42 case lots don’t happen. I’ve been in wineries that say this is our wine club only wine, super small production, only 500 cases. LOL! 500 cases is more than half of the entire Eternal Wine production per year, as we produce around 900 cases. I know you appreciate the small lots because you tell us you do! I knew there were more wine geeks out there! One of our biggest sellers is our skin contact white wine AKA Orange wines. People usually laugh at me when I do new things; however, the funny thing is a couple years later I see them trying to do it. It’s OK to be a trendsetter, some people are happier following the leader.
2021 Fall Release Lineup: (Written in the order I would drink them)
2020 Eternal Perspective Grenache Blanc- Sweet citrus zest, lavender and kiwi on the nose. The palate is hit with notes of lemon curd, ripe pear and honeydew melon. Bright acidity continues to be the backbone of this wine through out the years.
2017 Eternal Optimism GSM- Warm soothing notes of butterscotch, with spots of black cherry, and cola. The palate delivers dark fruits with notes of black currant, jammy blackberry, crushed black pepper and anise.
2018 Eternal Foundation Syrah- Our rocks Syrah is back! This wine starts with notes of fig newton, cranberry and Dr Pepper. The palate is very easy going, just going with the flow. Notes of plum, black and red cherry, raspberry and black currant.
2017 Eternal Zen Syrah. This wine always has such great potpourri nose. Little clove, little nutmeg, little spice and everything nice! The tannin driven body packs a punch with delicious notes of boysenberry, rhubarb and tart cherry.
2017 Eternal, Rocket Man Red- Every year is different grapes and percentages. This year is heavy on the Cabernet Sauvignon and for the first time Petite Sirah. Dark inviting notes of aged bourbon, vanilla, fresh harvested strawberry and medjol dates. This masculine palate brings fruit leather, hazelnut and a structured finish that will improve over the next 5-7 years (at least).
2016 Eternal Passion Reserve Red- This is the best of the best. The one, and only Eternal Passion. 3 years in barrel and 2 years in bottle, no need to age this wine but you certainly could. It will continue to improve over the next 7-10 years. Lets talk about flavors, do you like old fashions? Notes of muddled drunken cherry, orange rind and molasses. The palate brings heavy flavors of blueberry, ripe plums and a long lasting finish that you will still taste after breakfast.
Our 2017 Eternal Zen, that will be released in the fall shipment for our wine club, was just scored 91+ by “Wine Advocate”. “With a long-lingering finish, the Syrah ends with energetic acidity and ripe, dark red fruit tones that trail with a tannic edge. Bravo, it’s delicious. Only 600 bottles were produced.”
Interested in joining our wine club? Free Shipping! We have 3 different tiers. The Sir McCartney is just Eternal Wine selections, the Hexum is a mixture of both labels, and the Petty is just our Drink Washington State label. You can join for free, and it’s just 2 shipments a year: your choice of 6 or 12 bottles. For more information check us out here. https://eternalwine.com/wine-tasting/
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Nov. 5-7: Fall Release Weekend
Dec. 3-5: Holiday Barrel Weekend
April 1-3, 2022: Spring Kick off Weekend
May 6-8, 2022: Spring Release Weekend
*Bold locations in Walla Walla
As always, thanks for reading.
-Drink Wine, Be Happy
Brad Binko
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