ELEPHANT MOUNTAIN VINEYARD
Elephant Mountain Vineyard was first planted in 1995, and the block of Cabernet Sauvignon used here was planted in 1999. The vineyard sits high in the Rattlesnake Hills toward the western end of the Yakima Valley, starting at over 1300 feet in elevation and continuing to almost 1500 feet. Normally considered a "cool climate" vineyard, it has two advantages to help ripen the Cabernet Sauvignon; it sits well above the early frost line allowing the grapes a long hang time and it has a natural basalt outcropping which radiates heat back on to the grapes during the growing season.
Joe Hattrup manages this vineyard, which has been in his family since it was first planted. Joe has spent the past two decades learning the intimate details of this site, tailoring the irrigation and nutrients to the different parts of the vineyard in order to yield optimal concentration and maturity as well as even ripening across the blocks.
For more information about the vineyard, including Growing Degree Days and Vineyard Maturity data for past vintages, please visit http://www.elephantmountainvineyards.com.
