THE C.R. SANDIDGE WINES
2021 Caris
Red Blend
The 2021 vintage, a growing season which was almost ideal. A mild – warm spring to start things off. It then turned warm followed by unprecedented 100 – 115 degree weather for six solid weeks. When we felt “was this ever going to end”, weather returned to a “normal” September – October pattern. That cooling of temperatures by 20 to 30 degrees is what saved the vintage. As one might expect, all fruit was fully ripened at harvest.
The harvest for this fine red wine blend came from two vineyard sites. Small berries packed with dark purple color, black fruit and red berry flavors and aromas provided the generous backbone of this fine wine. The Cabernet Franc and one – half of the Merlot grapes were harvested from the Wahluke Slope “Stone Tree” vineyard. The remaining Merlot was picked from our neighboring Rocky Reach AVA, namely the “AFK Vineyards”. The grape growing at the cooler AFK site is a much longer – drawn out affair versus the warmer Stone Tree site. This made for additional – desired fruit complexities which are found in our wines completed presentation.
- Harvest: All fruit was hand-picked, sorted and destemmed – crushed into one ton fermentation bins.
- Fermentation: A yeast developed in northern France was utilized for the primary fermentation. The various musts were fermented for 8 to 11 days on the skins prior to pressing.
- Malo-lactic conversion: Malo – lactic conversion was fully completed while the wine was in barrels utilizing the native bacteria.
- All wines were aged for 18 months in French oak barrels. The French oak forest we sourced was “Center of France”.
- Filtration Level: Very tight at bottling.
Our 2021 Caris is an elegant wine yet possesses enough body to be classified medium – plus to full. Flavors and aromas of harmonious sweet vanilla bean – coffee bean barrel notes plus a touch of sage, ripe strawberries and black cherries complete the flavor and aroma profile. This is a very good food wine. Some recommended food pairings would be with grilled loin of lamb chops seasoned with the herbs of Provence or a spinach – mushroom – Manchego cheese tart finished with a nice Lyonnaise sauce. Our family thanks you for your friendship and support. Enjoy!!
Wine Specs
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Alcohol Percentage: | 14.6% |
| pH: | 3.67 |
| Acidity: | 5.1g/liter |
| Residual Sugar: | 1g/liter |
| AVA: | Columbia Valley |
Non-Member Pricing
Bottle Price: $50.00
Case Discount: 15%
Club Member Pricing
Bottle Price: $40.00
Case Discount: 30%