Pirouette was created by Long Shadows' Managing Director, Agustin Huneyas (Quintessa, Napa Valley), in collaboration with Napa Valley's top consulting winemaker, Philippe Melka.
In addition to his own label, Melka also produces acclaimed wines from Hundred Acres, Bryant Family, Dana Estate and Vineyard 29.
Combining traditional winemaking with modern techniques, we harvested small swaths of grapes from Washington State's finest vineyards to create this irresistible red blend.
A deeply layered wine with deep color and fresh character, the 2019 Pirouette offers aromas of ripe, juicy plums combined with delicate notes of sweet spices and savory dark fruits.
It melts in your mouth from the moment you put it in, and the wonderfully elegant and powerful flavor spreads, leading to firm, refined tannins that lead to a finish.
The aftertaste leaves behind rich dark chocolate notes.
Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon gives Pirouette structure and refined tannins.
Merlot from Weinbau Vineyards on the Wahluke Slopes adds softness and suppleness, while Cabernet Franc provides elegant red fruit flavors.
Malbec from Sonnet Vineyard in Horse Heaven Hills adds rich, spicy flavor, and finally, Petit Verdot from Dionysis Vineyard enhances the wine's color and vitality.
2019 was a year of outstanding red wines of exceptional quality and consistency.
The season started slowly.
Unexpected late winter snow held up until mid-March, resulting in delayed soil warming.
Bud break was also late in April, but temperatures rose in May and flowering accelerated.
The weather was mild throughout the summer, with no sudden increases in temperature.
The mild temperatures continued into autumn.
Although the grapes ripened late, this allowed the fruit to reach perfect physiological maturity, resulting in a vintage that stood out for its freshness and elegance.
Multiple fermentation techniques were used to enhance the complexity and richness of this Bordeaux-style blend.
Hand-picked Cabernet Sauvignon is gently rolled and fermented in 400L French oak barrels, slowly infusing oak and dark fruit flavors while developing rich, supple tannins.
The remaining grapes were fermented in traditional stainless steel tanks, with selected lots given extended skin contact to enhance the wine's dark color and mid-palate flavors.
The resulting wine was aged for 22 months in French oak (75% new barrels) and bottled without filtration or fining.
Long Shadows was founded in 2002 by Washington wine visionary Allen Shoop.
Shoop served as President and CEO of Chateau Ste. Michelle from 1984 to 2000, where he developed international winemaking partnerships with world-renowned Italian Piero Antinori (Col Solare) and German Dr. Loosen (Eroica Riesling).
Building on this success, Long Shadows was established to bring an elite group of great winemakers from the world's major wine regions to Washington State to create world-class wines that showcase the excellence of Washington State's Columbia Valley grape growing region.
Each winemaker partners individually with Shoop and the winery's resident winemaker, Jill Nicoll, to create their own quintessential, top-quality wine using their own vinification techniques and bottled in their own unique style.