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Cadenza – A Winemaker’s Dream
March 15 @ 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Cadenza Vineyard wines speak from forty years of growing grapes at one special place. Just take that in for a moment. History… commitment… passion…quality.
Our special Cadenza adventure is Friday, March 15th at 7 p.m. Deadline for reservations is March 8th so don’t delay! We are more than halfway to sold out at this writing.
Join Cadenza owner, Carl Helrich for a special library and barrel tasting event exploring how his wines have developed through time augmented by the Cadenza success story as told in Carl’s entertaining and engaging style. Repeat participants say they never tire of hearing the Cadenza story or tasting the. wines as they develop.
This sort of tasting is only offered privately at the winery. The eight wines included in our PWS event follow, sprinkled with Carl’s comments.
2017 Cadenza Chardonnay
Our second “Reserve Chardonnay” released under our Cadenza Vineyards brand. These Chardonnays are grown here at Allegro in our estate vineyard originally planted in 1973. The vineyard is comprised of roughly 9 different clones of Chardonnay, every one of which seems to ripen at a different time with different characteristics. The French call this a “field blend” of sorts, and I believe it is the key to the signature Allegro Chardonnay profile.
Our Chardonnays are where I feel that I have finally dialed in the right winemaking style and process to allow for the best and most appropriate voice from this vineyard. The fruit is barrel-fermented at cooler temperatures, then aged on its lees with weekly stirring—batonnage—for the first six months of its life.
2014 Allegro Reserve Chardonnay (Chardonnay 100%)
This is the most balanced release of our Reserve Chardonnay as 2014 displayed enough warming days for peak ripeness while retaining an amazing freshness. It is one of the most Burgundian wines we have created, and is a great example of a wine just starting to peak in its drinkability. It still shows youth along with a knitting together of its respective parts. This wine really opens up at warmer temperatures, being more directed to red wine drinkers.
2021 Cadenza Bridge (43% Merlot/42% Cabernet Franc/15% Petit Verdot)
The 2021 Bridge is one of the most balanced and refined wines that we have bottled in the past few years. Usually my style is more forceful and abrasive, but the 2021 Bridge shows a refinement and balance that I am usually not capable of. It’s almost European in its sensibility, while at the same time being approachable at this very young age. The Merlot brings darker fruit and body to the wine, while the Franc brightens the flavors and adds depth to the aromatics. They play nicely together while the Petit Verdot in the background holds it all together with its structure. This one of our most hedonistic Bridge offerings ever, reminiscent of the 2017, 2007 and 2006. Very Right Bank Bordeaux (for you traditionalists out there), but as with all of our wines–in the immortal words of John Crouch—”It’ll pay you back if you hold on to it!”
2017 Cadenza Bridge (Merlot 36%/Cabernet Franc 34%/Cabernet Sauvignon 22%/Petit Verdot 7%)
The 2017 was aged 19 months in new French oak barrels and then pulled from barrels in the summer of 2019. The wine was bottled unfiltered and unfined in early September with 2” corks. The final total was only 134 cases of 750mL bottles and 6 cases of 1.5L magnum bottles.
Nice deep colors and a rich aroma of fruit and oak make this a wine to savor. The structure of the wine is firm yet supple, making it perfect for pairing with beef dishes. This wine still needs some time to come around fully (even though it’s drinking nicely right now). Maximum enjoyment probably come sometime from now to 2026.
2013 Allegro Cadenza (Cabernet Sauvignon 73% / Merlot 22% / Petit Verdot 5%)
The miraculous 2013 vintage will be one that I remember for a long, long time. It yielded four reserve-caliber wines for us, including this one. With this wine, we returned to the Cadenzas of old with lots of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. The tannins are not as searing as John’s were in the young wines, but the structure is very present and its age-ability should be significant.
2005 Allegro Cadenza (Merlot 59% / Cabernet Sauvignon 27% / Cabernet Franc 14%)
A Merlot in Bordeaux terms. Using comparatively primitive production methods and minimal handling, this wine is still a sleeper just starting to wake up. The primary fruit is fading, but the cocoa tannins are too enticing to make waiting possible. The inherent spiciness and perfume just suck me in. It’s finally starting to hit its stride and land where I wanted it to. The last bottle I enjoyed was just short of mind-blowing in its inherent complexities.
2023 will be the vintage that sets the new benchmark for wine in Pennsylvania. With an early budbreak and the driest May on record (less than a 1/4″ of rain) followed by a balanced season, the vines from our Cadenza Vineyard finally showed their potential. The whites exhibit wonderful purity of fruit while the reds show off deep rich colors that speak to their underlying power. These are wines for the ages. Taste two Barrel samples—2023 Chardonnay and 2023 Merlot (straight from the barrel if we can figure out how to do it logistically).
To focus more fully on the wines in this library tasting, simple cheese and cracker nibbles will accompany the wines. It is strongly suggested that you eat a normal size dinner prior to the event.
Also plan your Friday travel time to easily gather by 6:50 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Event starts at 7:00 p.m. at Cadenza Vineyards, 475 Sechrist Road, Brogue, Pennsylvania 17309. Phone: 717-501-1413.
This event is limited to 20 attendees. Reservations close Friday, March 8th or, more likely, when sold out. You may MAKE RESERVATIONS via the SHOPPE PAGE of this website.
Member —$80
Patron —$75
Nonmember —$100