14 Hands Brut Rose
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14 Hands is inspired by the unbridled spirit of the wild horses that once freely roamed eastern Washington and the Columbia River Valley. Measuring a modest fourteen hands in height – a “hand” equivalent to the width of one’s palm – these tenacious horses would travel down from the hills every day to drink from the mighty Columbia River and graze along the riverbank to cool off at night. Strong and tenacious, these little horses became known for their endurance and were revered around the world.
This unique and beautiful landscape that gave these unbridled horses their spirit and tenacity now feeds their vines. Loamy sand and gravel soils require a strong and determined grapevine, and their acclaimed vineyards revel in Washington’s world-class terroir. With the fruit from the hardy vines, their Prosser winery handcrafts big, fruit-forward reds and crisp, juicy whites that pay tribute to the legend of the region. Like the untamed horses, they honor with their name, their wild and wonderful wines pack a lot of character into each bottle.
A term typically reserved for Champagne and Sparkling Wines, non-vintage or simply “NV” on a label indicates a blend of finished wines from different vintages (years of harvest). To make non-vintage Champagne, typically the current year’s harvest (in other words, the current vintage) forms the base of the blend. Finished wines from previous years, called “vins de reserve” are blended in at approximately 10-50% of the total volume in order to achieve the flavor, complexity, body and acidity for the desired house style. A tiny proportion of Champagnes are made from a single vintage.
There are also some very large production still wines that may not claim one particular vintage. This would be at the discretion of the winemaker’s goals for character of the final wine.
As the first recognized wine-growing region in the Pacific Northwest, Yakima Valley is centrally located within Washington’s vast Columbia Valley. The region also includes Washington’s oldest Cabernet Sauvignon vines, Otis Vineyard, planted in 1957, and Harrison Hill Vineyard, planted in 1963. Yakima Valley contains three smaller sub-regions: Rattlesnake Hills, Red Mountain, and Snipes Mountain and is ideal for both red and white wine production. In fact, Yakima Valley is Washington’s most diverse region, boasting more than 40 different grape varieties over about one hundred miles.
The cooler parts of the valley are home to almost half of the Chardonnay and Riesling produced in the state! Both are made in a wide range of styles depending on the conditions of the vineyard site.
But its warmer locations yield a large proportion of Washington’s best Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. The finest Yakima Valley reds are jam-packed full of red cherry, currant, raspberry or blackberry fruit, as well as cocoa, herb, spice and savory notes, and exhibit a supple texture, great body, focus and length.