The 2004 Columbia Valley growing season produced dark, balanced wine with great intensity and natural acidity. The vintage was marked by a hot summer, cool September, and a warm October that finished ripening grapes late into the season. While the late ripening was tricky for some vineyards that didn’t shoot thin because of a January freeze, the long fall harvest proved advantageous for Long Shadows because winemaker Gilles Nicault worked alongside growers throughout the season to keep yields low, resulting in grapes with intense flavor and rich tannins.

Chester-Kidder is a blended red wine styled to showcase Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, two outstanding blending partners that represent the best of the Columbia Valley. Aged for 28 months in ninety-percent tight-grain French oak allows the fruit and oak to integrate completely and gives the wine time to develop round tannins and richness; ten percent Eastern European oak adds complexity and spice.

The 2004 Chester-Kidder represents a diverse collection of outstanding Columbia Valley vineyards sourced largely from the Horse Heaven Hills, Red Mountain and Wahluke Slope. Horse Heaven and Red Mountain Cabernet give the wine texture and concentration; Horse Heaven Syrah adds dark flavors and color; Cabernet Franc from Weinbau (Wahluke Slope), one of the Columbia Valley’s best Cabernet Franc vineyards, adds aromatic intensity; and a small amount of Petit Verdot from Stone Tree Vineyard on the Wahluke Slope adds intensity and tannins to enhance the mouth feel.

Varietal: Red Blend
Vintage: 2004
Size: 750 ml
Region: Columbia Valley, WA
Country: USA