Renowned Napa Valley winemaker Randy Dunn has earned a reputation for crafting world-class Cabernet Sauvignon.
He brings over 40 years of winemaking experience to the Columbia Valley, and Feather is his only wine made outside of California.
With its rich, concentrated color and full flavor, this is one of Feather's finest works to date.
It is a refined wine, opaque in colour and with an appealing aroma and flavour.
Rich earth and oak spice are expertly woven into a generous core of black fruit.
On the palate, blackberry jam and graphite combine beautifully, with a rich background that enhances the overall impression of the wine and provides a fresh, textured finish.
Weinbau (Waluk Slopes) gives texture and structure to Feather, while Dionysus (White Bluffs) brings dark fruit.
The Bacchus and Sage Moor vineyards (White Bluffs) add elegance and a fresh, intense character.
Sonnet Vineyard (Horse Heaven Hills) contributes silky texture and alluring earthiness.
The 2020 growing season was characterized by low yields, a hot summer and long hang time in the fall, producing wines with excellent flavor, texture and vibrancy.
As usual, buds began to sprout in mid-April, but temperatures in May were mild.
The weather then cooled in June before warming up in July and August.
Just before the harvest appeared to be rushed, ripening conditions slowed across Washington state, slowing photosynthesis enough to prevent sugar buildup and maintain acidity in the grapes.
The hand-picked grapes were sorted, lightly crushed and then fermented in small stainless steel tanks.
Once fermentation began, the cellar staff performed vigorous pump-overs over the cap to enhance color and structure.
As fermentation neared completion, pump-overs were done more gently to extract more color and flavor without imparting harsh tannins.
When the wine is ready for barrel aging, it is aged for 22 months in French oak (85% new barrels).
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.