Website:  www.kestrelwines.com
Email:  winery@kestrelwines.com

Headquarters &
Prosser Tasting Room
(Daily: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
2890 Lee Road (Map below)
Prosser Wine & Food Park
Prosser, WA 99350
509-786-CORK (2675)
888-343-2675

 

Leavenworth Tasting Room
(11am - 5pm, Sun to Thurs
11am - 8 pm Fri & Sat)

843 B Front Street
Leavenworth, WA  98826
509-548-7348
leavenworth@kestrelwines.com

Map to Leavenworth Tasting Room


Winery Information
Winemaker:
Flint Nelson

Vineyard Acreage:  145 estate acres

Average Annual Production:
32,000 cases

Products: 
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot,
Sangiovese, Syrah,
Raptor Red (Bordeaux-style blend),
"Lady in Red" (red blend),
"Platinum" (white blend),
Chardonnay, Viognier, Late-Harvest & Ice Wine

Tasting Room Hours:
Prosser location
Daily: 
10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Leavenworth location
11am - 5pm, Sun thru Thurs
11am - 8 pm Fri & Sat

Tasting Room  wine glass

Gift & Retail Shop  wine glass

Picnic Area  wine glass

Group Facilities  wine glass    Full Catering Kitchen  wine glass

Special events  wine glass

Winery Tours  wine glass
(By appointment)    

      Wine Clubs   wine glass      
Choose from six     

Bus groups and tours by appointment only wine glass

 VISA  wine glass  Master Card  wine glass


Absolute quality...  it's an obsession

     At Kestrel Vintners, creating the perfect glass of wine isn't just a focus... it's an obsession!

      Quality vineyards, quality grapes, quality barrels, and a quality winemaker come together at Kestrel, guided by the winery's unyielding commitment to absolute quality.  Some call it obsessive, but Kestrel's commitment to quality assures attainment of the winery's goal -- the production of absolute quality wines.

      Capturing the Yakima Valley's exceptional growing potential is what Kestrel Vintners does best.  The proof is in the tasting... the quality is in every glass of elegant, distinctive Kestrel wine.  

       Consider the evidence...

Quality Vineyards

       The Kestrel View Estate Vineyard is home to some of the oldest Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec vines in the state with plantings dating back to 1972.  Two blocks of approximately 80 acres each feature terroir consisting primarily of basalt bedrock overlain by unconsolidated sediments deposited by glacial-outburst floods covered by windblown loess soils.  Growing conditions are ideal, benefiting from the rain-shadow effect of the Olympic and Cascade Mountain Ranges, and a warm, dry climate with abundant sunshine and cool nights due to high latitude and topography.  Vineyard blocks average between 1150' and 1280' in elevation.  A coordinated vineyard team constantly monitors the growth and development of every vine destined for use in Kestrel Vintners wines. 

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Quality Grapes

       All vineyards used for Kestrel wines are carefully selected for their legacies of high-caliber fruit production.  Under the watchful eye of Kestrel winemaker Flint Nelson, vineyard managers are mandated to drop grape tonnage at least 40% of standard production. While costly, this procedure practically guarantees the smaller grape crop will completely ripen to its highest quality at harvest.  Kestrel's old-vine vineyards, at more than 35 years of age, "self regulate" at about two tons per acre.

Quality Barrels

       Barrel aging plays an important role in Kestrel's wine production.  Wines are aged one to two years in the finest French, Hungarian and American oak barrels and bottle aged a minimum of one-year prior to release.  Limited production makes it possible for each barrel to receive all the individual attention it needs to meet Kestrel's quality and stylistic requirements.

Quality Wines

       The elegant, distinctive wines of Kestrel Vintners include a Signature Edition Series Old Vine Merlot, Cabernet, and Raptor Red, the winery's flagship Meritage blend.  The Ultra-Premium Series includes handcrafted Viognier, Sangiovese, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet and Chardonnay.  The Premium Table Wine Series includes Platinum (a white blend), Rosé and a collector series, Lady in Red.

Quality Winemaker

       Flint Nelson knew at an early age he wanted to be a great winemaker.  He has spent his life pursuing that dream. Educated at Washington State University, he graduated in 1991 with honors; after almost 10 years of winemaking experience, including a winemaker position at Apex Cellars in Sunnyside, Washington, Flint Nelson came to Kestrel Vintners.  He and his wife (also a winemaker) enjoy vacationing in wine growing regions around the world.

 

Selected Kestrel Wines

Logo of Kestrel Vintners, Washington winery in Yakima Valley wine region     Red wine is Kestrel's primary focus with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah the principal varietals. Cabernet Franc and Malbec are grown and produced mainly as blending wines just as they are in Bordeaux.  Wines are crafted to suit wine lovers with palates for dark, rich reds and fruit driven, food-friendly white wines. These wines include the Signature Edition Series Old Vine Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Raptor Red Meritage blend. The Winemaker Select Series is comprised of a wines produced in lots of 79-250 cases that give expression to unique varietals, clones, yeasts and other processing techniques. The Ultra-Premium Series includes the staples of our winery - handcrafted Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Sangiovese, Syrah and Viognier.  The Premium Table Wine Series includes Pure Platinum, Rosé, and Lady in Red.

Purchase Information

To purchase Kestrel wines, please call the winery at
509-786-2675 or e-mail us at winery@kestrelwines.com.


TABLE WINES

2007 Pure Platinum - 4th Edition
60% Gewürztraminer & 40% Viognier

This is the fourth release of Kestrel's Pure Platinum. This white table wine is a blend of Viognier and Gewürztraminer. The Viognier for the Platinum was grown and harvested mostly from Kestrel View Estate Vineyard.  However, a few tons from Outlook Vineyard, located North of Outlook in the Yakima Valley. The Gewürztraminer was grown and harvested primarily from Outlook Vineyard, with a few tons being sourced from Stone Ridge Vineyards in Mattawa. The grapes were harvested late in the season, only after they had reached full maturity.  Final sugar of both varieties neared 25 Brix.  The Viognier and Gewürztraminer were harvested simultaneously and blended as fruit in the press. The juice underwent a cool slow fermentation using with Côte de Blanc yeast. The combination of these factors helped to preserve the fine fruit and floral qualities of both varieties. The fermentation was stopped at 1.5% residual sugar. The resulting wine is a marriage of spice and floral elements.

The Wine:  This wine possesses the brilliant spice of the Gewürztraminer grape and the floral perfume of the Viognier. In the nose you will find hints of honeysuckle, passion flower and orange blossoms. The mouth explodes with sweet citrus and stone fruits such as tangerines, apricots and peaches. The long lingering finish is sweet clover honey. Alcohol: 12.6% Residual Sugar: 1.5 %.

Lady In Red - 6th Edition
50.6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 11.4% Syrah, 3% Cab Franc, 1% Sangiovese
Release Date: June 2008

Our sixth release of Lady In Red is non-vintage as were our first five releases. It is a blend of wines crafted predominately from the 2004 and 2005 vintages.  The fruit used to produce Lady In Red 6th Edition was grown at several outstanding locations around the Yakima Valley and Columbia Valley, including our own Kestrel View Estate Vineyard. Grapes from the chosen sites produce wines brimming with ripe black and red fruit flavors, coupled with generous amounts of velvety soft tannins.  The fruit which composes Lady In Red 6th Edition was carefully picked at the height of maturity, then de-stemmed and crushed leaving 15% whole berries. It was fermented at 85° F, in small batches, for 7 to 10 days, then gently pressed so as not to extract any harsh tannins. Forty percent was then aged in small oak barrels until bottling.

The Wine This wine possesses a deep ruby-red color, centering to near black. In the aroma you will find blueberry, cherry, red currant, and elderberry fruit flavors. These are balanced by tea, tobacco, cedar, earth, sweet red pepper, black pepper, and vanilla which expose themselves in the glass. The wine ripples with bright intense red fruit flavors, and finishes with lingering cherry, dried herbs, and tobacco notes.  Alcohol 13.8%  Cases produced: 9,430


ULTRA PREMIUM WINES

2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
Blend: 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Malbec and 1% Syrah
Released: Fall 2007
92 pts - Wine & Spirits

Cabernet Sauvignon is said to be the king of wines. Our 2005 selection is no exception.  These grapes are from our own Kestrel View Estate Vineyard, located six miles north of Prosser; Olsen Estate Vineyards, located between Prosser and Benton City; and Elephant Mountain Vineyards, located at the base of Elephant Mountain near Buena.  The wine then spent 22 months aging in small French, Hungarian and American oak barrels before being bottled.  Vineyard Source:  Kestrel View Estate, 14% Olsen Estate Vineyards, and 14% Elephant Mountain Vineyards

The Wine The color is inky crimson-purple. In the aroma and on the palate there are multiple layers of ripe black cherry, blackberry, blueberry jam, red currants, black pepper, clove, dried herbs, tobacco, earth, rose petals, red and a hint of sweet red bell pepper. The wine is full bodied, complex, and round.  The balance between tannins and fruit is excellent, and gives rise to a lingering finish that will leave you wanting another sip.  Alcohol: 13.9%  Cases produced: 1822

2005 Estate Merlot
Blend: 93.7% Merlot, 4.2% Cabernet Franc, 2.1% Malbec
Released Fall 2008

Forty-Seven percent of the fruit for this wine came from Kestrel View Estate Vineyard, located on the Roza, six miles North of Prosser.  Thirty-two percent of the fruit came from Olsen Estate Vineyard, block 19 at Corral Canyon, located North of Benton City.  Thirteen percent came from Elephant Mountain Vineyard located at the West end of the Yakima Valley and eight percent came from Boushey Vineyard located North of Grandview.  By blending fruit from the finest Yakima Valley vineyards, the winemaker was able to create a complex and stunning example of how fabulous the Yakima Valley can be at producing world class wines.  All our Merlot was hand harvested and carefully sorted, removing any defective fruit, leaves or stems.  It was then destemmed and crushed into fermenters, where it was punched down or pumped over twice daily to extract the optimum amount of color and flavor. After draining and pressing, the wine was aged in a mixture of 65% neutral and 35% new French, Hungarian, and American oak barrels for 22 months prior to bottling.

The Wine: Our 2005 selection of Merlot is an exceptionally beautiful wine. The color is inky crimson-purple centering to black. In the aroma and on the palate there are multiple layers of ripe red fruits such as black cherry, blackberry, black raspberry, dried cranberry, black currant, elderberry, dried blueberry, and dried plum. There are also hints of dried herbs, rose petals, violets, sage, vanilla, clove cardamom, white pepper, nutmeg and tobacco. The wine is luscious, full bodied, complex, and boasts a lingering finish.  Alcohol: 13.8%  Cases produced: 1902


SIGNATURE EDITION WINES

2004 Signature Edition Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon
Blend: 96% Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Malbec
Release Date: December 2007

One hundred percent of the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon came from our Estate Vineyard, planted in 1972, making the vines some of the oldest in Washington. The Yakima Valley seems to be ideally suited for growing many varieties. This is due to long summer days that boast in excess of 16 hours of sunshine per day. Follow this with our extended autumns, providing warm days and cool nights and you have perfect conditions for producing superior Cabernet, with ripe fruit flavors and good acidities.  All the Cabernet Sauvignon was hand harvested from our Kestrel View Estate Vineyard.  It was carefully sorted, removing any defective fruit, leaves or stems. It was then destemmed and crushed into open top fermenters, where it was punched down twice daily to extract the maximum color and flavor. After the initial fermentation it was pressed to small French Oak barrels where it matured for 22 months. Prior to bottling the six finest barrels were selected from the lot and only this portion was bottled as our Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon.

The Wine:  The color is a rich purple-plum. In the aroma you will be greeted by waves of black pepper, tobacco, clove, dried fig, cherries, chocolate, plum and the signature mineral characteristic of the Kestrel terroir. These flavors will repeat on your palate, lingering to the long and elegant finish. As you explore the depth and breadth of this velvety wine, you will taste the love that goes into every bottle. Alcohol: 13.9%  Cases produced: 152

2004 Signature Edition Raptor Red
100% Kestrel View Vineyard fruit
Blend: 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Malbec
Released
May 2008

The 2004 growing season was outstanding! Great fruit was harvested from most of Washington’s vineyards.  Once again the weather for growing grapes was optimal - a long hot summer and an extended Indian Sumer that lasted well into October.  Kestrel View Estate Vineyard is fortunate to have some of the oldest grape vines in the state. The Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon was planted in 1972.  When they were planted, a small number of Malbec vines were mistakenly planted amongst the Cabernet.  In the late nineties, cuttings were taken from these vines and Kestrel planted several more acres of Malbec. This wine is a marriage of 61% Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon and 39% Malbec.  Six of the finest barrels of wine from the Kestrel cellar - four barrels of Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon and two of Malbec - were selected for the 2004 vintage of Raptor Red. 

The Wine: The color has intense purple, blue and red undertones, finishing to black at its core. The aroma is supported by generous quantities of bittersweet chocolate, black cherries, black raspberries, strawberries, and is perfectly balanced with dried herbs, chocolate, spice, black pepper and mineral undertones. This is an exceptional wine with ample body, and a velvety smooth texture that weaves its way from first sip to lingering finish.  Alcohol: 13.9%  Cases produced: 152


Browse other Kestrel Vintners wines

How to find Kestrel wines
 

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Winery and Tasting Room in Prosser
Map to Kestrel Vintners near Prosser - Yakima Valley wine region

Click here for Map to Leavenworth Tasting Room


 

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Last revised: 06/09/2009