2008 TerraNoVA
| Vintage: | 2008 |
| Wine Type: | Red Wine |
| Varietal Composition: | |
| 79% | Cabernet Sauvignon |
| 11% | Petit Verdot |
| 10% | Tannat |
| Harvest Date: | October 4-23, 2008 |
| Sugar: | 23.2 avg brix |
| Acid: | 6.18 g/l |
| PH: | 3.64 |
| Aging: | 18 months - Missouri oak |
| Barrel Aging: | |
| 18 months | |
| 50% | New Missouri Oak |
| 50% | Second use Missouri Oak |
| Ageability: | 2015-2020 |
| Fermentation: | Indigenous yeast - stainless steel |
| Bottling Date: | August 16, 2010 |
| Residual Sugar: | 0 |
| Alcohol %: | 14 |
This crimson colored wine shows intriguing and subtle aromatics of eucalyptus, mint, saw dust, and red currant. The palate is medium bodied with velvety tannins and a refreshing acidity showcasing bright red berry fruit and a creamy lingering finish.
The fruit for the Commonwealth TerraNoVA 2008 was harvest from several different vineyards from around Loudoun County. The Cabernet Sauvignon came from our estate Hill vineyards and another one of our partner vineyards – Tranquility Vineyards in Loudoun County where the Tannat is also sourced. The Hill vineyard is a south facing slope that creates most of Tarara’s best fruit. The soils are deeper and there is better air movement coming from the closer proximity to the Potomac River. This helps the fruit enjoy a longer potential hang time in Loudoun’s warmer fall evenings. The fruit from the Hill tends to be richer and more complex. Tranquility Vineyard is a great south east facing slope just outside Purcellville. The grapes from this vineyard tend to be the last to come off the vine and show great ripe tannins and rich color. They also tend to show very robust dark berry fruit and a minty tone. The Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc is harvested from a partner vineyard just outside Waterford – Village Vineyards in Loudoun County that is managed by worked by TARARA staff and is known from deep, rustic, complex fruit with great acid and tannin structure. Harvest Conditions: The 2008 vintage was marked by timely rains, sometimes in excess and slightly cooler then average temperatures. Fruit set was fairly cool and wet creating some uneven berry development within the clusters forcing rigorous crop thinning to ensure the best ripening. July and August we warm but with cooler nights leading up to the harvest season helping the fruit maintain a good balance. In early September tropical storm Hanna dropped 6 inches of rain forcing the harvest back an extra couple of weeks lowering the crop in order to dry out the vineyard. We completed our harvest on October 23rd, approximately one week after our first major frost. Both the reds and whites are characterized by their lovely acid balance, lower then normal alcohol, and elegant fruit. The 2008’s are great consumed young while the 2007’s age, however the best will age gracefully over the mid term.
The Commonwealth TerraNoVA is created through selecting our two favorite barrels of our Cabernet Sauvignon dominated blend best showcasing Loudoun’s terroir. The grapes were all cold soaked for up to 7 days for good color, tannin and flavor extraction from the skins prior to the presence of alcohol. We bled off (saignee) 10% of the juice from each of the fermentations (with the exception of the Tannat which required no saignee) to create a better skin to juice ratio increasing extraction and therefore structure. The fermentations were fairly quick and warm having their peak temperatures range anywhere from 84-92 degrees Fahrenheit. The total time the wine spent on the skins ranged from about 27 days to 29 days. The wines elevage in barrel was 20 months and was bottled unfined and unfiltered.
This wine will be a great pairing for a Duck Confit Pizza with fresh Basil, Farmer John’s Mr. Stripy Heirloom Tomatoes and shaved Parmigiana Reggiano. It would also pair well with Fields of Athenry Pork Fish stuffed with Local grown Arugula and Blue Ridge Ricotta in a TARARA Long Bomb reduction.
50 cases