2017 Darow Series Tempranillo
Tasting notes
We designate estate-grown wines of special distinction as “Darow Series” after our vineyard’s most prevalent soil type. In 2017, we were blessed with exceptionally ripe Tempranillo that oozed blackberry fruit aromas and flavors with notable density. The nose is a complex of black fruit, raspberry
jam, black pepper, and fresh earth, but the palate is where the wine really shines as the core of ripe black fruit is joined by dried herbs, leather, dark
chocolate, and roasted chestnuts. The sublime balance of fruit, richly toasted oak, acid, and tannin creates a seamless, dense, and luxurious textural
quality that promises improvement with age. We suggest five to eight years in a cool cellar then pairing with a classic lamb and chorizo paella with
blistered Ros de Mallorca peppers. Drink 2022–2032.
Aging: 30 months in 29% new, 57% 2-year-old, 14% neutral French oak
2017 was a lesson in patience coming off record snowfall. What started as a normal, relatively cool spring ended on a warm trend that continued
until mid-July, when Mother Nature reminded us of her fickleness. August turned out to be one of the coolest in the last twenty years, allowing our
fruit to ripen slowly and evenly. Fall continued the cool trend, and—thanks to our perfectly balanced crop load and expert water stress management—
we began harvest on September 8, a week later than anticipated. As harvest progressed in unseasonably cool conditions, we became so excited by the flavor development we tasted in the vineyard that we delayed harvest of many blocks until the last possible minute. Our final fruit came in on
November 2 with superb ripeness in exquisite condition.
| Varietal Composition | 81% Tempranillo, 10% Malbec, 9% Syrah |
| Appellation | Rogue Valley |
| Harvest Date | 10/03/2017 |
| Alcohol | 13.90% |
| Volume | 750 ml |
| Bottling Date | 03/04/2020 |
| Cases Produced | 357 |
| Country of Origin | UNITED STATES |
| State of Origin | Oregon |
| Artificially Carbonated | No |
| Sparkling Wine | No |
San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition: Double Gold Medal
Sunset International Wine Competition: Silver Medal
TEXSOM International Wine Awards: Silver Medal
Savor Northwest Wine Awards: Silver Medal
Although part of the Rogue Valley AVA, the 2Hawk Estate Vineyard lies in an area known locally as the Bear Creek sub-basin. The two-layered bedrock beneath our soils consists of a shallow volcanic layer, the Roxy Formation, and a deeper, softer layer of alluvial sandstone, The Payne Cliffs Formation. The Klamath Mountains uplifting event, roughly 20 million years ago, began a long erosion process that resulted in our predominately volcanic soils, which are unique to the Rogue Valley AVA. An area of cobbled river rocks in our eastern section and a sandy streak of considerably younger colluvial deposit running through the center of our vineyard site distinguish 2Hawk from neighboring vineyards. Overall, we have some of the oldest soils in the valley and they are characterized as shallow silty- to clayey-loams that are moderately well drained with moderate to rapid runoff.
