2018 1.3.8.
Block 8 is one big experiment. The vines themselves, Cabernet, Merlot, and Cab franc, are planted in our vineyard’s most difficult soils and require meticulous attention to ensure they ripen the fruit. Once ripe, the entire block is picked at once and the fruit co-fermented in the tradition of the great wines of Pauillac and Margaux. This wine is as much about instinct and intuition as about deliberation and the result is a wine filled with scents and flavors of ripe blueberry, black raspberry, toasted graham cracker crumbs, and pencil lead with a distinct perfume of fresh thyme. Graceful and refined, the palate develops a classic Bordeaux-like personality of slate minerality as the lengthy finish unfolds. We love placing this on the table alongside fried pork chops with mushroom and panko breading, veal bone broth reduction, and grilled apple chutney. Enjoy 2022-2027.
One wine, three varietals, Block 8. 1.3.8. is a labor of love. The vines—Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc—are planted at our estate’s highest elevation vineyard and in our least-forgiving soils. They require meticulous attention to ensure they ripen the fruit. Once ripe, the entire block is picked at once and the fruit co-fermented in the tradition of the great Bordeaux wines of Pauillac and Margaux. This wine is as much about instinct and intuition as about deliberation, and the result is a wine filled with scents and flavors of ripe blueberry, black raspberry, toasted graham cracker crumbs, and pencil lead with a distinct perfume of fresh thyme. Graceful and refined, the palate develops a classic Bordeaux-like personalityof slate minerality as the lengthy finish unfolds. We love placing this on the table alongside fried pork chops with mushroom and panko breading, veal bone broth reduction, and grilled apple chutney. Enjoy 2022–2027.
20 months in 64% new, 18% 2-year-old, 18% neutral French 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 aboveaverage 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.
| Appellation | Rogue Valley |
| Harvest Date | 10/30/2018 |
| Alcohol | 13.70% |
| Volume | 750 ml |
| Bottling Date | 07/23/2020 |
| Cases Produced | 245 |
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.
