Nine Hats was inspired by the nine internationally acclaimed winemakers who created the Long Shadows portfolio of world-class wines.
Nine Hats began as a single red blend created to maximize the value of Long Shadows' wines and support the winemakers' ongoing rigorous selection process for their flagship blend.
The success of this one wine led to the expansion of the Nine Hats brand.
Working with Washington wine pioneer Allen Shoop and Long Shadows Winemaker Jill Nicoll, Nine Hats has carved out its own identity separate from Long Shadows.
Long Shadows winemaker Jill Nicoll and founder Allen Shoop experiment with some of the Columbia Valley's best vineyards to create Chardonnay in their mutual favorite style.
Complex, expressive and beautifully balanced, this wine is layered and deliciously flavoured through fermentation in French oak barrels, concrete eggs and stainless steel.
With an elegant nose and lively character, this wine has a great balance of texture and acidity on the mid-palate.
The nose features lively osmanthus, white flowers, white peach and honey.
Approximately half of the Chardonnay comes from grapes grown at French Creek Vineyard in the Yakima Valley, contributing viscosity and texture.
The remaining fruit was harvested from Bushey's fields.
After fermentation, the wine was aged for 9 months in concrete and French oak 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.