Auburn Road Eidolon

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 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.