The 2008 Poet’s Leap Ice Wine has 32.8% residual sugar and 8.5% alcohol. Medium gold-colored with legs that cling to the glass, it sends up aromas of pure peach nectar leading to a sweet, intense, beautifully balanced wine that will deliver pleasure for many years to come.
Long Shadows and its seven labels, each with its own star winemaker, is just the beginning of Alan Shoup’s visionary project. He has purchased controlling interest in the Wallulla Vineyard from the Den Hoed brothers who developed it and who will continue to manage this huge project on the cliffs overlooking the Columbia River. Shoup has renamed it The Benches. It must be seen to be believed, encompassing 20 miles of road carved through the development. Shoup’s plan is to have each Long Shadow label have its own cave built into the landscape. Some fruit from the Benches is already being incorporated into some of the Long Shadows wines. Armin Diel is the winemaker/partner in the Poet’s Leap label. The Saggi label is produced by Ambrogio and Giovanni Folonari.
Tel. (509) 526-0905; www.longshadows.com