Fielding Hills wines, 2012 vintage
Fielding Hills Winery is one of the top wineries in Washington State. Owner/winemaker Mike Wade and his wife Karen are longtime apple and cherry growers who turned a middle portion of their orchard near Mattawa into a vineyard. Their RiverBend Vineyard, planted in 1998, is in the Wahluke Slope AVA and is their sole source of grapes. Fielding Hills wines are unfined and unfiltered and aged in 80% new French and American oak.
We have tasted their wines from their inaugural vintage in 2000 through their soon-to-be-released 2012 vintage and continue to be impressed. They are so consistent; it is not a question of whether their wines will be good but where they will fall on the quality spectrum between “very good” and “Wow!”
Strictly red wine producers, Fielding Hills makes a Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and a red blend called Tribute. Recently, we had the opportunity to taste all five of their upcoming releases from the 2012 vintage in a blind samples tasting. Our favorites were the 2012 Syrah and 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon, which are both outstanding and deliver serious bang for your buck.
Fielding Hills has a beautiful tasting room in Chelan. If you are ever in the Lake Chelan area, Fielding Hills is a stop you do not want to miss. Regardless of whether you are able to visit or not, I encourage you to get your hands on a bottle or two of Fielding Hills wine and enjoy.
2012 Fielding Hills Syrah
2012 Fielding Hills Syrah (RiverBend Vineyard, Wahluke Slope, Washington): 94% Syrah, 2% Cabernet Franc, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2% Merlot. Dark, dense purplish red in color. Gorgeous nose with luscious black fruit and spice box aromas. Fruit-forward with black fruit, spice, and white pepper on the palate. Full-bodied with smooth tannins. Well-balanced with good complexity and a long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $38 [to be released June 2016]
2012 Fielding Hills Cabernet Sauvignon (RiverBend Vineyard, Wahluke Slope, Washington): 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, 3% Syrah, and 2% Merlot. Deep, dark red. Nice nose with black cherry, blackberry, and smoky aromas. More black fruit as well as smoked meat comes through on the palate. Full-bodied with lively acidity and high tannins. Well-balanced with a very long, smooth finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $44 [to be released June 2016]
2012 Fielding Hills Merlot (RiverBend Vineyard, Wahluke Slope, Washington): 95% Merlot, 3% Syrah, and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep garnet red in color. Aromatic with black plum, red cherry, and spice box aromas. More black plum and red cherry come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with medium to high tannins. Well-balanced with a long, smooth finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $36 [to be released June 2016]
2012 Fielding Hills Tribute Red Wine (RiverBend Vineyard, Wahluke Slope, Washington): 40% Cabernet Franc, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Syrah, and 20% Merlot. Deep red. Aromatic with black fruit and oak on the nose and palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium tannins. Well-balanced with a medium to long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $32 [to be released June 2016]
2012 Fielding Hills Cabernet Franc (RiverBend Vineyard, Wahluke Slope, Washington): 90% Cabernet Franc, 5% Syrah, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Medium-deep ruby red in color. Aromatic with red fruit and a touch of spice on both the nose and palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium to high tannins, and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $32 [to be released June 2016]
The post Fielding Hills: Consistently Producing Great Wines appeared first on Wine Peeps.
