Complementing aromatics of blackberry and thyme are coupled with those of graphite and baking spices. The juicy acidity on the palate gives way to notes of chocolate covered espresso bean and dried cherries. The long bright finish brings with it notes of cherry blossom, cocoa powder, and mixed berry jam. This wine is ready to enjoy now but should age nicely in the cellar through 2030. Serve this to guests alongside a grilled spinach stuffed flank steak pinwheel for maximum enjoyment.
The fruit was harvested September 24th through October 26th. 2019 began with a wet and cool spring, which pushed bud break out two weeks later than in 2018. The summer growing season was relatively uneventful, with no heat spikes. Due to the moderate weather and late bud break, veraison did not end until early August in some areas of the valley. Autumn brought hot days and cool nights which helped push the grapes to full ripening, while preserving their acidity. As a result, the wines produced from this vintage are full and robust with deep color.
The grapes were hand-harvested at night when temperatures often dip to 50˚F – to capture vibrant acidity and fruit expression in the wine. We first cold-soaked the must (crushed grapes) for gentle extraction and then fermented in stainless steel, concrete, and oak barrel fermenters at 92˚F. Rigorous pump-overs, increasing during the peak of the fermentation, developed deep color, rich varietal character, and fine tannins in the wine. The wine was aged in new French oak barrels to meld the bright fruit expression with oak spice nuances. After three months of aging, we blended the vineyard components then allowed them to marry during the remainder of the 26 months of barrel-aging. This wine was bottled un-fined and unfiltered to present the attributes of the vineyard in the purest form possible, from the dirt to the glass!
