Nose
A nose of black cherry, raspberry, clove and confectionery.
Palate
The palate is darker, with black cherry and chocolate flavors accompanied by notes of iron, cedar, espresso and caramel. Vibrant acidity lifts the palate and carries through on a spicy, brambly finish that is classic Oregon. This is a little bit less tannic and structured than the Shea vineyard designates, and will make for wonderful drinking while those wines age in the cellar.
Winemaking
When we had selected the barrels that would make up our Shea and Shea Back Block Reserve wines, there were 4 barrels left over that didn’t quite work for either blend, so we decided to bottle these separately as Ophelia. These received that same careful attention we pay to the Shea wines when it came to winemaking, with the primary difference being the use of 100% neutral French oak, resulting in a more fruit driven wine ready for early consumption.
Appearance
Brilliant ruby color.
