Cara Mia Cadence Estate Vineyard

The 10.5 acre Cara Mia Cadence estate vineyard planting was completed on July 1st 2004. The vineyard is located at 788 feet in elevation and west of Sunset Road on Red Mountain. The vineyard was planted to 40% Cabernet Franc clones 1, 214 and 327, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon clones 8, 169 and 191, 20% Merlot clones 1, 181 and 348, and 10% Petit Verdot clone 2. The vineyard represents the state of the art in Washington for clonal selections, row orientation, soil mapping, clonal matching to soil type and precision irrigation. As luck would have it, the soils are as varied as in any Red Mountain vineyard and two of the soils, Ringold clay and Ellensburg flood cobbles, are apparently unique on Red Mountain. Cara Mia fruit will become the basis for the Bel Canto and Camerata blends.

Tapteil Vineyard

Larry Pearson’s Tapteil Vineyard sits on the upper slopes of Red Mountain, Washington’s most famous appellation. The name refers to the lower portion of the Yakima River and means narrow. The term Tapteilmin or “narrow river people” was used to identify those living along this portion of the river. Tapteil enjoys a constant southwest facing slope and excellent air drainage to protect against the inevitable freezes. Red Mountain is a very warm area, often accumulating over 3000 degree days of yearly heat. The vineyard is trained to a bilateral cordon on relatively close spacing. Meticulous vineyard management and low yields ensure perfectly healthy fruit of great color and flavor intensity. Cadence purchases fruit from the 1985 block of Cabernet Sauvignon and 1994 plantings of Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. Wines from this vineyard show typical Red Mountain power and tannic structure buffered by sweet fruit and spices.

Ciel du Cheval Vineyard

1999 was our first vintage from Jim Holmes’ famous Red Mountain vineyard. Ciel du Cheval (named for the wonderful views of the neighboring Horse Heaven Hills) sits further down the Red Mountain slope from Tapteil on slightly more vigorous soils. Jim has employed a fan trellis system and careful management to great effect; the wines are among the most elegant from Red Mountain without sacrificing any of the power and intensity typical of the terroir.

Klipsun Vineyard

Patricia and David Gelles’ Klipsun Vineyard was named by Wine&Spirits Magazine as one of the top 25 vineyards in the world. First planted in 1982, Klipsun fruit is known for power and tannic intensity. It is not for the faint of heart! Cadence employs a deft touch during fermentation to tame the Klipsun tannins and produce what one critic has called “a surprisingly user friendly Klipsun”.