Peninsula Cellars 2005 Lemberger

Vineyards Notes:
Lemberger originated in Austria and remains the most prevalent red on Austrian’s tables. In the US, Washington and Finger Lakes in New York are successful with the variety as well. Typically, we blend this small 1 acre vineyard into our Old School Red. The heat of 2005 however, made this crop to good to blend away. We decided to highlight its unique characteristics by bottling it as a varietal.

Winemaking Notes:
It has a white pepper heat, with loads of blueberry and dark fruit flavors. To accent the warm 2005 vintage we fermented the wine in a large, warm fermenter. This released all of the beautiful blue hues that make it so deep in color. It also pulled out the berry fruit noses and subtle tannins that make the wine interesting.

We initiated the Malolactic fermentation on the skins while the wine was still warm. At the mid point we pressed the wine into second use American oak barrels and two French oak puncheons (132 gal each). Here the wine aged quietly for seven months. In this time the wine mellowed and concentrated.

Tasting Notes:
It is now ready for your enjoyment. This Lemberger is one of those wines that will show off while young. The tannins will seem a little more aggressive in relation to the fruit during the first year. After that the fruit will rise forward and the wine will contibue to intrigue. I expect this wine to be very enjoyable over the next three years, Most likely this will be the “house red” in my home during the next winter.

Food Pairings:
This is our first Lemberger thus food pairings are a little difficult to predict. However, I look forward to serving this with a homemade beef stew with lots of potatoes, thyme, pepper, and of course warm bread.

Technical Notes:

Varietal:	100% Lemberger
Vineyards:	Kroupa, MacDonald
Appellation:	Old Mission Peninsula
Harvest Dates:	October 2, 2005
Brix at harvest:	22
Aging:	6 months American and French Oak
Bottling date:	June 15, 2006
Alcohol:	13%
Titratable Acid:	6.3g/L
Residual Sugar:	0g/L
pH:	3.65
Cases Produced:	255