This is a pre-arrival offering that is expected in spring of 2026
Our tasting impressions
The Cabernet offers elegance, subtlety and refinement. The Malbec chimes in with power and sweet fruit. The whole is far greater than the sum of its parts. This is a lighter, more elegant wine than you would expect. That's not to suggest it doesn't have ample heft. Enjoy it now or give it more time to evolve. A delight from a blend that harkens back to the earliest days of Bordeaux.
About this wine
Inspired by classic Bordeaux blends, this is equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. Both varieties were planted in Trystan Vineyard in 2014. The elevation is 1,250 feet, western facing at a 17% slope. The volcanic soil is Walla Walla Silt Loam.
Grapes are hand-sorted and de-stemmed prior to crush. Fermentation is with encouraged high temperatures and punchdowns twice daily. Aged for 29 months in neutral oak with oak supplementation.
About the grape
Cabernet Sauvignon is a hearty grape that flowers and ripens late. It is highly adaptive to a wide variety of climates and soils. Its vines are capable of prodigious production, which must be restricted in order to produce the grape's best quality. Among the world's noble red wine grapes, it is the most popular and widely planted.
Malbec rose to prominence in Cahors in Southern France, where it was often called Côt. These days, it is best known as the preeminent red grape of Argentina. It ripens best in warm climates and typically produces big, very dark, fruity and tannic wines.
About the vintage
Here are Tom's notes: The 2020 growing season in The Dalles was defined by early variability and late-season disruption. Spring conditions led to uneven fruit set and reduced yields, while summer progressed with generally moderate heat and steady ripening. Near harvest, widespread wildfire smoke forced rapid picking decisions and limited overall production. Where fruit was harvested prior to heavy smoke exposure, wines show focused ripeness, preserved acidity, and restrained tannin, reflecting both the challenges and select successes of the vintage.
ShadowBuck is the first off-the-grid winery in the Pacific Northwest. In 2007, Tom Peters acquired a 500 acre property in Oregon’s Dufur Valley that was abandoned as a dry land wheat farm almost a half century prior. Over several years, he converted the barren land to support 2 vineyards. All the buildings on the land and the irrigation system are solar-powered.
The winery, accessible by dirt roads, is about 45 minutes from Hood River on the eastern slope of Mount Hood in a town known as The Dalles. This is DESERT with volcanic soil! It lies outside the nearest AVA’s of Columbia Valley and Columbia Gorge so, the wines are designated Oregon.
Each of the two vineyards in production is 20 acres. Trystan, planted in 2010 was first harvested 5 years later. Obsidian was planted in 2013 and harvested initially in 2017.
Both vineyards are managed organically within the application of nitrogenic compounds, sulfur exposure (high winds negating the need for fungal suppression), and cultivation practices. Drip irrigation from an on-site artisan well provides year-round water supplementation to vineyards during summers where average rainfall is noted to be around 12 inches annually.
Tom is ably assisted by cellarmaster Marty Clifford, who started at ShadowBuck out of high school, and Tom’s grandson Russell, who is adding Chemistry to his winemaking and viticultural degrees.
This is a great and unique story, made even better by the grass-fed livestock they are raising. Beef and lamb are sold at the winery. The sheep are in charge of weed control in the vineyards. But, of course, we wouldn’t be telling this story if the wines aren’t excellent. And kudos to Tom for aging his wines more than typical before release.
ShadowBuck produces about 6,000 cases per year from 12 varieties.
