2014 Minnesota Marquette
The fruit for this Marquette was sourced primarily from our Estate Vineyard. The Frontenac and St. Croix came 100% from our Estate. 2014 was a very difficult vintage with an incredibly cold winter taking its toll on our crop levels. We were only able to make just over 400 cases of wine, which is about 70% less than the 2013 vintage. All fruit was picked at the crack of sunrise by hand and delivered immediately to the winery.
Once the fruit arrived at the winery, it was destemmed, lightly crushed and fermented in separate small lots. A 2 week fermentation allowed for full extraction of color and tannins. The wine was lightly pressed off the skins and barreled down for the winter in October. After almost 9 months in barrel the Marquette was blended with 15% Frontenac and 10% St. Croix before bottling in May of 2015.
Aromas of ripe blackberries and pomegranate dominate the nose. On the entry the wine shows red currant and loamy black olives leading to plush, complex flavors of ripe plum, fig and smoked meats. The finish is persistent with firm tannins that suggest this wine will continue to improve for the next 5 to 7 years.
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Finger Lakes International Wine Competition, Minnesota
2016
Silver
