by Chris Russell, Contributor
As spring advances and the vineyard blossoms into activity, a special time of year for 2Hawk approaches: our spring wine club release. Twice a year—in May and November—we make our very best wines available to members of the 2Hawk Wine Club for shipping or pickup. This May, we are excited to release four exquisite wines that represent the exceptional terroir of the Rogue Valley and especially the 2Hawk estate vineyard.
2018 Sauvignon Blanc
2018 was a banner year in the vineyard. Despite a cool start to the growing season, warmer weather during bloom led to an above-average fruit set. The summer was warm but free of heat spikes, which can typically cause uneven maturation. Although the summer was slightly cooler than normal, our fall ripening period was dry and warmer than usual, creating an ideal environment for our fruit to ripen. We harvested “the winemaker’s dream”—grapes bursting with intense fruit flavors; balanced natural acidity; and ripe, generous tannins.
Our 2018 Sauvignon blanc reflects the exquisite ripeness of the vintage. Aromas of mango, passion fruit, and grapefruit zest accompany flavors of key lime, orange Creamsicle, and a flinty minerality. Crisp but integrated acidity keeps the wine fresh and lively. We barrel-fermented a significant portion of this wine, lending the finished wine a creamy, smooth texture that carries through the long finish. We suggest enjoying this wine now through 2021 paired with lighter fare to allow the wine’s enticing mouthfeel to shine.
2017 Cabernet Franc
2017 proved a challenging year for winemakers in the Rogue Valley, with significantly cooler than average temperatures in the late summer and fall. Great challenges present great opportunity, however, and our careful management of crop load and water stress allowed us to begin harvesting only a week later than anticipated. Excited by late season flavor development and drier than expected weather conditions, we chose to delay harvest as long as possible, thus allowing for excellent ripeness and wonderful fruit composition.
For our 2017 Cabernet Franc, we sourced fruit from a Jacksonville, Oregon, vineyard to produce a wine that clearly announces its Rogue Valley heritage. Carefully controlled extraction permitted us to highlight this grape’s natural elegance, resulting in a wine with a juicy, bright texture that pays homage to our unique terroir. A peppery, spicy aroma carries blueberry, pencil lead, dried cilantro, and jam-like raspberry fruit onto the palate. This wine pairs marvelously with a wide array of food options, be it sophisticated fare or something a bit lighter. Enjoy now through 2023.
2017 Darow Series Pinot Noir
We’re proud of our remarkable estate-grown 2017 Darow Series Pinot noir. When one of our wines reaches new heights of excellence, we designate it “Darow Series,” paying tribute to our vineyard’s most abundant soil type. The cooler, longer ripening period for our 2017 Pinot noir fruit allowed a charming character to shine through, so we took special care to express the delicacy of this vintage. The result is a wine that opens with aromas of Bing cherry, pine needle, and cola, transforming to crushed raspberries, ripe black cherries, lavender, and mint on the palate. The wine is exquisitely balanced, with a long finish that continues to evolve as it lingers. While it can be enjoyed now, this wine will be at its finest from 2020 to 2024.
2018 Grenache Rosé
Our Grenache was somewhat riper than anticipated at harvest, so our 2018 Grenache rosé developed a beautiful color after only 45 minutes of contact with the skins. This wine’s aroma evokes ripe crushed strawberries, red plums, tangerines, and sage. Crisp and dry, the delicious ripe red berry fruit flavors and bright acidity balance the inherent minerality and wet stone nuances. Like our 2018 Sauvignon blanc, this Grenache rosé can be enjoyed now through 2021. This hedonistic wine has the potential to improve even further over the next one or two years in the bottle.
Save the Date!
To celebrate our spring wine releases, all our wine club members are invited to a members-only release party on Sunday, May 19, from 1 pm to 5 pm. Come enjoy our new releases along with sunshine, fantastic food, and lively company in our elegantly rustic tasting room. If you’re not yet a wine club member, don’t miss out! Join the 2Hawk Wine Club today to gain special access to our finest new releases and members-only events.
Learn More
We hope you’re as excited as we are about these upcoming releases. At 2Hawk, we believe in putting the best wines we possibly can in the bottle, and these four wines showcase our ongoing pursuit of excellence. Do you have any questions about these or any of our other wines? If so, please comment below, or reach out to us directly via our contact page. We’d be delighted to hear from you!
Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn more about Rogue Valley wines, here are a few ways:
- Don’t miss any of our wine releases! Join the 2Hawk Wine Club and gain special access to the very best we have to offer.
- Visit the tasting room to sample our current wines.
- Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with the latest happenings.