2018 Tempranillo
Tasting notes
Block 2 of our estate vineyard continues to impress us with its capacity to provide exceptionally balanced fruit from the Tinta de Toro clone of Tempranillo planted there. The defining character of the block is the combination of dried ripe black cherry fruit and dusty, mouth-coating tannin that
gives the wine its generous body and length on the palate. There is a sense of depth on the finish that hints at longevity with black raspberry, dark
chocolate, espresso, and vanilla bean. This is a classic Tempranillo that cries out for grilled, dry-aged ribeye wrapped in jamón ibérico with a blistered
tomato gremolata. Enjoy 2022–2030.
Aging: 22 months in 10% new, 25% 2-year-old, 65% neutral American oak
2018 was a textbook Rogue Valley Indian summer vintage. The growing season saw a cool start into late spring, but just as the vines began to bloom, the weather turned slightly warmer, resulting in even and above-average fruit set. Overall, the summer was similar to previous years, but it was notably free of heat spikes, which can cause uneven ripening. Summer went out with cooler than normal temperatures, and we enjoyed beautiful and exceptionally dry ripening weather in September and October with 40–50-degree diurnal swings nearly every day. As the fruit reached complete
physiological maturity while basking in the warmth of the late season sun, we began harvesting “the winemaker’s dream”—grapes that were absolutely
bursting with ripe fruit flavors; beautiful natural acidity; and round, plump tannins. Our last fruit came in on November 9.
| Varietal Composition | 90% Tempranillo, 7% Grenache, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Appellation | Rogue Valley |
| Harvest Date | 09/28/2018 |
| Alcohol | 13.90% |
| Volume | 750 ml |
| Bottling Date | 07/22/2020 |
| Cases Produced | 489 |
Wine Enthusiast Magazine: 92 points
Sunset International Wine Competition: Silver Medal
Although part of the Rogue Valley, the 2Hawk Estate Vineyard lies in the area known locally as the Bear Creek sub-basin, which is the Rogue’s largest tributary. Beneath our vineyard soils lies a two-layered bedrock consisting of a volcanic layer, known as the Roxy Formation, and a deeper, softer layer of alluvial sandstone known as The Payne Cliffs Formation. As the Klamath Mountains began to uplift roughly 20 million years ago our bedrocks began a long erosion process that resulted in the predominately volcanic soils we find in our estate vineyard, which are unique to the Rogue Valley AVA. 2Hawk is also distinguished by a large amount of cobbled river rock, especially in our eastern section, and a somewhat sandy streak of significantly younger colluvial deposit that runs through the center of our site. Overall, we have some of the oldest soils in the valley. They are generally characterized as relatively shallow silty- to clayey-loams that are moderately well drained with moderate to rapid runoff.
