Boise Coop Wine Shop

Kestrel Vintners

• April 15, 2010

Kestrel opened their Prosser, Washington winery in 1999 with the intent to innovatively craft wines of the highest caliber, showcasing the unique terroir of the Pacific Northwest. Here’s the scoop on five of their wines:

Kestrel Pure Platinum, $11.49
An elegant white table wine carefully created by blending Gewürztraminer and Viognier. The two grapes were harvested simultaneously and blended as fruit in the press. This wine possesses the brilliant spice of the Gewürztraminer grape and the floral perfume of the Viognier. On the nose you will find hints of honeysuckle, passion flower and orange blossoms. The mouth explodes with sweet citrus and stone fruits (tangerine, apricot, peach), with hints of sweet clover honey on the lingering finish.
2008 Kestrel Rose, $12.49
The Rosé is the winery’s melting pot wine: most every variety they have found its way into this wine including Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Mourvedre, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Syrah and Viognier. It’s created by a process called Saigné, which literally means to bleed. They pull off some of the juice immediately after crushing to increase the skin to juice ratio. By doing this they create a red wine that is darker and richer. The Saigné juice that’s been bleed off is fermented in stainless steel at low temperatures, then immediately bottled to preserve freshness and fruitiness. The result is a beautiful, coral colored wine that offers floral aromas and flavors of peach, pomegranite, currant and cranberry. The taste is delightfully refreshing and crisp.
Kestrel Lady in Red, $12.49
A blend of Merlot, Cabernet and Syrah, this wine offers enticing aromas of blueberry, cherry and red currant. The palate has intense red fruit flavors balanced by touches of by tea, tobacco, cedar, earth, dried herbs, white pepper, and vanilla. It finishes with lingering cherry, dried herbs, and blueberry notes. An exceptional value.
2006 Kestrel Merlot, $18.99
The majority of the fruit for this wine came from the Kestrel View Estate Vineyard, located on the Rosa, just six miles North of Prosser. A dark crimson, almost inky wine, both the aroma and the palate are filled with multiple layers of ripe red fruits: black cherry, blackberry, elderberry, dried cranberry, black currant, dried blueberry and plum. There are also hints of dried herb, rose petal, violet, sage, vanilla, clove, cardamom, white pepper and tobacco. The wine is full bodied, complex, and boasts a long finish with firm acidity. Should age well for years to come.
2006 Kestrel Cabernet Sauvignon, $18.99
Sourced from a medley of vineyards near Prosser, including their own Kestrel View, with the grapes picked and sorted by hand. The wine is a very deep purple, with aromas marked by dark fruit including black cherry and currant, and backed by dark spice, dried herbs, toasted coconut and vanilla. This expansive and generous wine is full bodied, dense, and elegant, with firm tannins and a lingering finish.