2003 Wyncroft Lake Michigan Shore “Shou”
Avonlea Vineyard

“Shou” (pronounced Show) is a traditional Chinese symbol meaning “Longevity”. It is a fitting name for our traditional Bordeaux-style blend as the Cabernet family of grapes produces long-lived wines.

Vinification:
    This wine is a field blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Merlot from the stony soils of Avonlea Vineyard. 2003 brought us a cool wet summer with a perfect dry sunny fall. The very small crop ripened perfectly with excellent flavors and crisp acidity. The grapes were harvested in late October, crushed and destemmed and fermented with Bordeaux yeast, macerated for over three weeks to extract fine tannins according to classical French technique. The young wine was gently pressed and put directly into mostly new Nevers and Allier forest medium-plus toasted barrels where it underwent a full malo-lactic secondary fermentation, and remained undisturbed for 36 months.

The Wine:
    Bordeaux is our template for this wine, particularly the communes of Pauillac and Margaux. As our soil and climate are very close to Bordeaux, we aim for the richness, complexity, and finesse of these great wines. 2003 “Shou” is reminiscent of vintages such as 1990, 1996, and 1998, where elegant ripe fruit is balanced by excellent tannins and acidity. This deeply-colored red wine has a nose of black currant, black cherry, roasted ancho peppers, dark chocolate, and brown spices. The palate is powerful, yet elegant and crisp with flavors matching the aromas. The abundant fine tannins are evident, and the wine needs another 12 months before opening a bottle. It will improve with cellaring and will keep for another 10 years if desired.

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