Ermisch Cellars 2023 Red Mountain Cabernet Franc

Producer Info

Ermisch Cellars is the boutique Oregon winemaking venture by founder and owner Kirk Ermisch, built on decades of international wine and import experience. Operating out of a boutique facility in Bend, OR, they craft small-lot, hand-made Pinot Noirs from grapes sourced out of the Willamette Valley and Cabernets from grapes sourced out of Washington state… with an emphasis on terroir, balance, and artisanal care from vineyard pickup to final bottling. This is very much a hands-on project — Ermisch remains actively involved in every step of the journey, from vineyard pickup through winemaking and all the way to bottling.

Vintage: 2023 | Wine Type: Red Wine
Varietal: 100% Cabernet Franc
Origin: Washington, USA | Appellation: Red Mountain AVA

The Red Mountain AVA is a small but powerful wine-region tucked into south-central Washington — just 4,040 acres in total, making it the state’s smallest appellation. Despite its size, it’s also one of the warmest and driest wine regions in the state, with southwestern-facing slopes, gravelly, calcium-rich soils, minimal rainfall (about 5–6 inches per year), and hot sunny days followed by cool, windy nights. That tough, sun-soaked, wind-driven terroir forces vines to struggle — producing small, thick-skinned berries that yield deeply concentrated grapes. The result: exceptional wines — most famously bold red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, Cab Franc, Merlot and Syrah — that offer intense dark-fruited flavors, strong structure and tannins, and excellent potential for aging.

Elaboration: Grapes were sourced from Aquilini Vineyards on the upper slopes of the Red Mountain AVA in WA. After hand harvesting, the grapes were destemmed into open top bins and punched down twice daily for 18 days. The wine was then drained via gravity into a blend of new and used French oak barrels. Aged 10 months before bottling, this wine will benefit from medium term cellaring, but will drink well upon release. Only 900 bottles produced.
Winemaker: Kirk Ermisch 

Tasting Notes

Technical Data

Production: 75 cases | Alcohol: 14% TA: 6.6 g/l | Residual Sugar: <0.1 g/l | pH: 3.