Shortly after harvest in 2007 we considered several options for new wines to offer our consumers. After much thought, we decided to develop a red blend. After all, for the first time in our short history we had some spectacular Old Vine Zinfandel that we got from a 40 year old vineyard over on Harney Lane just outside of downtown Lodi and some big, rich Syrah that an old friend let us have out of his vineyard about two miles west of our vineyard.
Finally, in January 2008 we considered blending these very nice wines together. Several of us got together with samples of several wines and started blending a little of this with a little of that. We took notes on each attempt, but the idea was to be creative and just let things happen. After many efforts, we found our serendipitous blend of our estate Cabernet Sauvignon with Old Vine Zinfandel and Syrah.
With the help of our dear friend and business associate James Woodward of Oklahoma we named this new wine Eclipse. James also offered some suggestions for slightly tweaking the wine…which we did. Two months later, we bottled our first ever red blend. We felt honored that James wanted to be the first market in the US to launch Eclipse, so in June 2008 we sent our first order of wine to Oklahoma City. Eclipse is a HUGE success there, and we know why!
The color of this blend is a rich garnet red with purple edges. The nose is a feast of the best aromas of each grape. One can easily detect plums, cherries, raspberries, cocoa, spice, black pepper and sweet oak. On the palate, Eclipse is full bodied but very soft. Ripe fruit flavors are very evident. One thing different is that Eclipse has very soft tannins. The wine finishes with no astringency. This is by design. We wanted a wine for those drinkers who do not like the “bite” of red wines. We have found that new and younger consumers prefer a softer and gentler approach to their wine.
Try Eclipse, and let us know what you think! Serve Eclipse as your favorite “everyday” red. Eclipse is perfect for easy conversations, backyard gatherings, BBQ’ed appetizers, pasta dishes, trip-tip sandwiches and hearty winter soups and stews.
