Description
Deep, dark, dry blend of Merlot, Chambourcin, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot aged 30 months in oak barrels and another 6-12 months in the bottle. Taking its name from a Walt Whitman poem, 25 cents from every bottle sold goes to support the Walt Whitman Association in Camden, New Jersey. Also our “Coeur d’Est” blend – a collaborative creation by wineries in the Outer Coastal Plain.
THE GRAPES:
- Eidolón (pronounced “eye-DOLE-on”) is a red wine blend of the vinifera grapes
Merlot (45%), Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot (5% each) and the hybrid
grape Chambourcin (45%). - Merlot grapes grow well in our soil type of sand and clay which is very similar to
the soils of its original home on the right bank of the Gironde River in the
Bordeaux region of France. Since Merlot ripens mid-September it consistently
does well in our climate. The grapes produce intense cherry flavors in the wine
and velvet phenolics (mouthfeel). - Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon are both red wine grapes used in classic
Bordeaux blends. Petit Verdot ripens more reliably in the New World adding
tannin, color, and flavor, in small amounts, to this blend. Cabernet Sauvignon a
smooth wine creating cohesiveness. - Chambourcin is cold hardy and extremely disease resistant. It reaches high
sugar levels every year and has intense forest berry flavors (think black fruits –
blackberry, black currant, plum, black fig). As a result, it is a favorite on the East
Coast. The resulting wine is purple in color and acidic in taste. - All grapes are grown at our Auburn Road and Woodfield vineyard locations.
THE WINE:
-
- The grapes are fermented in small 1 ton bins. When fermentation is done, the
Chambourcin grapes stay in the bins for another 2-3 weeks. Called an extended maceration – this technique is used to extract phenolic compounds from the
grapes – creating more structure, mouth-feel, and palate length. - All the different grapes are pressed and the wine is moved to barrel to age for 30
months. Some of the wine is aged in new American oak barrels. The new oak
barrels will also add more tannin to the young Chambourcin wine. - The wines are kept separate by variety for almost two years then evaluated and
blended together. - After blending, the wine is evaluated again and may go through a fining process
to integrate the harsher tannins obtained in the winemaking process. “Fining”
means to clarify wine or remove something from the wine. We use a traditional
fining agent of natural egg whites, a technique discovered by French
winemakers. We will put actual farm fresh egg whites into the barrels and stir the
wine. - The goal is to integrate the tannins and soften the acidity in the wine.
- The wine is bottled and further aged in bottle another 6-12 months before it is
sold. - The resulting wine is deep in color and complex in flavor. The front begins with
bright acidity, the mid-palate bursts with blackberry and currant and the finish is
smooth and velvety from the vinifera grapes with vanilla undertones from the
American oak barrels. - When serving this wine, aeration is suggested to open the flavors contained in
this wine. Decanting into another vessel, splashing, and using commercial
aerators all help open the wine. It should be served at room temperature of 65-
70 degrees. - Enjoy this wine with steak and beef dishes, lamb, veal, rich pasta dishes, and
spicy foods. - It is about 13.5-14% alcohol.
- The grapes are fermented in small 1 ton bins. When fermentation is done, the
THE NAME:
- “Eidólon” (pronounced “eye-DOLE-on”) is the title of a poem from Walt Whitman’s
“Leaves of Grass”. In the poem he explains that what we experience in the world
are essentially images or “ediólons” of our own creation. We can create the
image, we can change it. Positive thought projects positive images, negative
thought projects negatives … Everything matters! - This wine is our creation of the ideal wine as interpreted through the soils and
climate of the Garden State’s Outer Coastal Plain using grape varieties that are
ideal for this region.
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