14 Hands Rose 2017
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Perfect by the glass or with grilled tuna, paella, salty cheeses, and light salads like a classic Niçoise.
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.
Whether it’s playful and fun or savory and serious, most rosé today is not your grandmother’s White Zinfandel, though that category remains strong. Pink wine has recently become quite trendy, and this time around it’s commonly quite dry. Since the pigment in red wines comes from keeping fermenting juice in contact with the grape skins for an extended period, it follows that a pink wine can be made using just a brief period of skin contact—usually just a couple of days. The resulting color depends on grape variety and winemaking style, ranging from pale salmon to deep magenta.
An important winegrowing state increasingly recognized for its high-quality reds and whites, Washington ranks second in production in the U.S. after California. Washington wines continue to gain well-deserved popularity as they garner higher and higher praise from critics and consumers alike.
Washington winemakers draw inspiration mainly from Napa Valley, Bordeaux and the Rhône as well as increasingly from other regions like Spain and Italy. Most viticulture takes place on the eastern side of the state—an arid desert in the rain shadow of the Cascade mountains. Irrigation is made possible by the Columbia River. Temperatures are extreme, with hot and dry summers and cold winters, during which frost can be a risk.
Washington’s wine industry was initially built on Merlot, which remains an important variety to this day, despite having been overtaken in acreage planted by Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Bordeaux blends and Rhône blends are common as well as single varietal bottlings. Washington reds tend to express a real purity of concentrated fruit. The best examples have a bold richness, seamless texture, plush or powdery tannins and flavors such as licorice, herb, forest floor, espresso and dark chocolate.
In terms of white wine from Washington state, Riesling is the state’s major success story, producing crisp, aromatic examples with plenty of stone fruit that range from bone dry to lusciously sweet. Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc perform nicely here as well, and Viognier is beginning to pick up steam.