NV Klipsun Cabernet "Port"

Since the early 1980’s, when Rob tasted his first Port, he has nurtured a dream of making a nectar just as heavenly and complex. Throughout his winemaking career, Rob has had the opportunity to travel to Portugal and taste many fine examples of the real thing. He has, and continues to, experiment with different techniques, but the bottle you hold in your hand today tells this story.
One of the secrets of making great Port that Rob learned early on was this: contrary to popular belief, you don’t let the fruit hang on the vine to gain additional sugars, the way you would for a “Late Harvest” wine. Instead you pick at the peak of ripeness - that is, when the sugars and flavor profiles are in perfect balance - about 23-25 brix, the same number you would look for in a table wine. Later you fortify the wine with brandy spirits to reach the correct level of alcohol (19-20%).
The wine in this bottle is a blend of 7 vintages. We started by making a few barrels of Klipsun Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon in 2002. Each subsequent year we have blended in another two or three barrels worth (always in neutral oak) of the Klipsun Cab. The idea - which we borrowed from the Sherry producers of the world - is to make a wine that is far more complex than a single vintage one could be.
We will continue to add 2-3 barrels of new wine each year, and we’ll continue to bottle a small amount each year. Interesting fact: after 20 years we’ll be bottling a wine that has some 2002 and some 2022 wine in the blend!
A word about the name. Federal law does not allow us to call this wine Port, or even Port-style, since we are not making it in Portugal. Legally we have to call it Tawny Dessert Wine. You can call it Port home if you like - we do.
And a word about the vineyard. Klipsun Vineyard is located in the Red Mountain Appellation of Washington. It is one of the most esteemed vineyards in the state and their Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes are highly coveted. The owners of the vineyard, Patricia and David Gelles, are very dear, old friends and each year they set a side a ton of Cabernet for our pet Port project. Lucky us!
We bottled the first 100 cases of this un-Port and released it in November of 2009. We think you’ll find that the rich, complex and not too sweet flavors play on your tongue in the same way the music of a fine cello fills your soul.
Don’t forget the Stilton.