Winemaker Notes
Blend: 57% Cab Sauv, 20% Merlot, 14% Syrah, 5% Malbec, 4% Cabernet Franc
This rich, deeply colored wine offers a broad spectrum of complex aromas including leather and black cherry interwoven with hints of spice, earth and a subtle note of licorice. Supple yet firm tannins on the entry turn rich on the mid-palate to provide a lush mouthfeel across a lengthy finish.
"The newest vintage of Long Shadows Pirouette is 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 14% Syrah, 5% Malbec and 4% Cabernet Franc. This is substantial, textural and complex. The toasty new oak flavors are more than matched by rich layers of berries, cassis and black cherries. It glides into a seductive midpalate, adding flavors of dusty cocoa, espresso liqueur and toasted grain. It would show quite well against California Mertiage-style wines costing twice as much." 92 Points
Wine Enthusiast
March 2009
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
The newest vintage of Long Shadows Pirouette is 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 14% Syrah, 5% Malbec and 4% Cab Franc. Combined with the benefits of a stellar vintage, this is substantial, textural and complex. The toasty new oak flavors are more than matched by rich layers of berries, cassis and black cherries. It glides into a seductive midpalate, adding flavors of dusty cocoa, espresso liqueur and toasted grain. It would show quite well against California Meritage-style wines costing twice as much.
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Connoisseurs' Guide
57% Cabernet Sauvignon; 20% Merlot; 14% Syrah; 5% Malbec; 4% Cabernet Franc. Intriguing aromas of sweet red cherries, milk chocolate, orange rind, black plums and toasty, slightly smoky oak start this wine off right. It is fairly full in body and supple at the front of the palate with lots of soft-grained tannins providing support for an aging regime of four to eight years at least. And, there is every reason to expect more.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2005 Pirouette features winemakers Agustin Huneeus and Philippe Melka. It is composed of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 14% Syrah, 5% Malbec, and 4% Cabernet Franc aged for 22 months in 75% new French oak. Saturated purple in color, it offers aromas of wood smoke, earth notes, spice box, plum, black currant, and blueberry. The wine is seamless upon entry but a bit short in the finish. Perhaps a few years of bottle aging will fill it out.
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Wine Spectator
Firm in texture, with grippy tannins around a glowing core of plum and blueberry fruit, shaded with earthy, cedary notes as the finish persists. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2010 through 2015. 1,693 cases made.
With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red wine styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
How to Serve Red Wine
A common piece of advice is to serve red wine at “room temperature,” but this suggestion is imprecise. After all, room temperature in January is likely to be quite different than in August, even considering the possible effect of central heating and air conditioning systems. The proper temperature to aim for is 55° F to 60° F for lighter-bodied reds and 60° F to 65° F for fuller-bodied wines.
How Long Does Red Wine Last?
Once opened and re-corked, a bottle stored in a cool, dark environment (like your fridge) will stay fresh and nicely drinkable for a day or two. There are products available that can extend that period by a couple of days. As for unopened bottles, optimal storage means keeping them on their sides in a moderately humid environment at about 57° F. Red wines stored in this manner will stay good – and possibly improve – for anywhere from one year to multiple decades. Assessing how long to hold on to a bottle is a complicated science. If you are planning long-term storage of your reds, seek the advice of a wine professional.
A large and geographically diverse AVA capable of producing a wide variety of wine styles, the Columbia Valley AVA is home to 99% of Washington state’s total vineyard area. A small section of the AVA even extends into northern Oregon!
Because of its size, it is necessarily divided into several distinctive sub-AVAs, including Walla Walla Valley and Yakima Valley—which are both further split into smaller, noteworthy appellations. A region this size will of course have varied microclimates, but on the whole it experiences extreme winters and long, hot, dry summers. Frost is a common risk during winter and spring. The towering Cascade mountain range creates a rain shadow, keeping the valley relatively rain-free throughout the entire year, necessitating irrigation from the Columbia River. The lack of humidity combined with sandy soils allows for vines to be grown on their own rootstock, as phylloxera is not a serious concern.
Red wines make up the majority of production in the Columbia Valley. Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant variety here, where it produces wines with a pleasant balance of dark fruit and herbs. Wines made from Merlot are typically supple, with sweet red fruit and sometimes a hint of chocolate or mint. Syrah tends to be savory and Old-World-leaning, with a wide range of possible fruit flavors and plenty of spice. The most planted white varieties are Chardonnay and Riesling. These range in style from citrus and green apple dominant in cooler sites, to riper, fleshier wines with stone fruit flavors coming from the warmer vineyards.