The 2020 Artist Series Red Wine is elegant and shows balanced flavors of black cherry and blackberry with notes of violets, baking spice and cedar. The flavors persist with added earthy complexity of silt with a slate finish. The fine-grained tannins will ensure this wine develops nicely over the next 10+ years.

ABOUT THE ARTIST
Chateau Ste. Michelle’s Artist Series Red Wine celebrates the inspired collaboration between artisan winemaking and fine art. The 2020 vintage labels showcase artist Junko Yamamoto, whose focus is on oil painting. She also engages in printmaking and produces mixed-media installations, focusing most recently on soft sculpture mobile installations. Yamamoto was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, and left to study abroad at 16 years old, moving to the U.S. In 1999, she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, cum laude from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle.

The 2018 vintage gave us a perfect combination of heat for ripening in the summer and a gradual cool down during harvest that allowed proper ripeness in the ideal timeframe.

This year's blend is a special combination of Canoe Ridge Estate (39%), Cold Creek (26%), Kelly (18%), and Dineen (17%) Vineyards. The combination of warmer and cooler sites is the exact expression I look for in the Artist Series. The cooler sites provide dark cherry fruit, a touch of herbs and delicate harmony. The warmer sites give ballast and depth to add concentration and aging potential. This wine plays the perfect role of 'Old World' styling with 'New World' structure.

THE ART
Chateau Ste. Michelle’s Artist Series red wine celebrates the inspired collaboration between artisan winemaking and fine art. The 2017 vintage labels showcase artist, Tony Angell. His interest in birds began in childhood and he has continued to work and rehabilitate wild species, including birds of prey, crows and ravens.

THE WINE
The year 2017 was a warmer vintage, but not hot for Washington state. Early bud-break and a relatively cool spring allowed for a nice, full growing season into October. Looking for the fresher, more complex wines, we turned to our Canoe Ridge Estate vineyard. At 77% it is the largest this vineyard has ever been in the Artist Series; the site is maturing before our eyes, making the perfect combination of density and restraint. Another portion, 13%, is from Dean Canyon Vineyard, which is blended with Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon from Lawrence Vineyard (10%). This fruit brings color, weight and a touch of herb notes. This 25th anniversary vintage of Artist Series is going to be very special. Enjoy!