2018 Cimarron Vineyard Mourvedre
Wine Specs
Vintage
2018
Varietal
Mourvedre
Appellation
Willcox
Vineyard Designation
Cimarron Vineyard
Harvest Date
September 5
Acid
TA: 5.6 g/L
pH
3.79
Aging
Aged 5 months in 33% new French (Alain Fouquet Cooperage) and 67% neutral oak barrels. Aged another 6 months in 100% neutral oak barrels. Twice racked. Filtered, but unfined.
Alcohol %
13.9
Wine Profile
Tasting Notes
We think there’s something special about Arizona Mourvedre and were pretty bummed when we didn’t have the production space for it in our first couple years. With its fresher acidity, complex red fruit, spice and slightly wild edge, Mourvedre is a great grape for Arizona (even if it does ripen a little late) and it’s perfect for Chateau Tumbleweed. This year, we sourced the varietal from three different vineyards and bottled small amounts of each wine separately to celebrate this versatile and enigmatic grape. This bottling comes from the Cimarron Vineyard in Kansas Settlement just south of Willcox. While it does have the wild spice so characteristic of Mourvedre in AZ, that character is a little more tempered, giving way for the grape’s pure, clean fruit to shine through. The bright acidity and tannic structure so common of this vineyard then take this wine to another level. Only three barrels produced.
Vineyard Notes
Willcox AVA – Cochise County, AZ - 100% Mourvedre from Cimarron Vineyard. Cochise County, AZ. 4,300 ft. elevation. Harvested Sept. 5th - Sugar at harvest: 24.9 Brix
Production Notes
Destemmed but not crushed to open-top, 3⁄4-ton bins. Lot was left ~20% whole-cluster. Cold-soaked 24 hours, then inoculated with
specially selected yeasts (Clos, T73, Rhone2056).
Hand punched 3-4 times daily.
Inoculated with Malolactic bacteria (Omega) around 7 Brix. Pressed at dryness after 8 days skin contact.
Settled 2 days before barreling.
Production
74 cases
Other Notes
Drink now or cellar 5+ years