Hedges Family Estate: The Estate, Vineyards

The Chateau | Tasting Room | Vineyards

Red Mountain AVA Overview
The Red Mountain American Viticultural Area is widely recognized as the premier growing region in Washington State. Wine grapes from Red Mountain command the highest prices in the state and wines made from Red Mountain fruit are consistently recognized for their balance, depth, and complexity.

Red Mountain in essence, is a magnified version of Eastern Washington being hotter, drier, windier, and possessing more free draining soil than most other growing regions. The vineyards on Red Mountain receive less than seven inches of rainfall annually on average which necessitates irrigation. By controlling the amount of water the plants receive the viticulturist can sustain life while maintaining an extreme climate thus forcing the grapevines to struggle for their survival by focusing energy on fruit production rather than foliage growth. Red Mountain's Southwestern facing slope and long, warm days during the growing season ensure even ripening, while cool nights allow the plants to maintain acidity. The resulting fruit produces wines with deep color, intensity, focus and balance which many say is unrivaled in the United States.

Click here to see a detailed map of the Red Mountain AVA

	Looking northeast across the vineyard with the Chateau and the top of Red Mountain in the background.		Hedges Estate Vineyard Hedges Estate Vineyard was the first step in the creation of Tom & Anne-Marie's dream of a wine estate on Red Mountain. Planting began in 1991 with approximately 18 acres each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and one acre of Cabernet Franc all planted at 10ft by 4ft spacing. Between 1998 and 2000 a small two acre high density block, 5ft x 5ft spacing, was developed to include the Portuguese Port varietals Tinta Cao, Touriga Nacional, and Souzao as well as the Bordeaux varietals Petit Verdot and Malbec. Hedges Estate vineyard covers the western end of Hedges Family Estate in front of the Chateau.

	Looking southeast down the slope of Red Mountain across the vineyard with the Horse Heaven Hills and the Bel'Villa Ranch House in the background.		Bel'Villa Vineyard Tom & Anne-Marie Hedges purchased this forty acre site, which peaks at 1,000 feet, in 1997. The highest planted vineyard on Red Mountain, Bel'Villa is planted to 9ft x 5ft spacing, with a one acre block of Cabernet Sauvignon planted with high-density spacing of 5ft x 5ft. This highly sloped vineyard just reaches the upper limit of the ancient Missoula Floods where soil conditions show a dramatic change. The vineyard is divided into North and South blocks planted in 1998 and 1997 respectively. The majority of the vineyard is devoted to Cabernet and Merlot but is also planted with three acres of Cabernet Franc and six acres of Syrah.

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