Sometimes referred to as “grapey” this wine evokes memories of blueberry açaí jam, orange blossom water and lavender candy. The big and bold midpalate is bolstered by the juiciness of a mixed berry tart and has notes of cedar and grilled meat layered in between the waves of boisterous fruit. Undulating onto the finish, cinnamon and cocoa notes intermingle with those of strawberry pie, raspberry compote and mocha truffle. Pan seared duck breast, on a bed of risotto, finished with a Port and blueberry reduction would be a perfect start to a long and enjoyable evening.
Sourced primarily from our estate vineyards in Carneros and the Stags Leap District, the grapes were harvested between September 14th and October 6th.
The 2021 growing season was a prime example of why Napa Valley is such a great place to grow grapes. The winter heading into the growing season was colder than average with a drier than average spring. There were four total heat events over the growing season with the May and September heat events being outside the typical range for that time of year. The summer growing conditions were exceptionally good, making for ideal berry development. Both bloom and veraison, which typically last two to three weeks each, were each over in about a week! The start of harvest was early due to September being very warm. The yields for the year were below average, but from a quality standpoint, it was a vintage year!
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 88˚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 40% new French oak barrels to meld the bright fruit expression with oak spice nuances. After three months of aging, we blend the vineyard components and allow them to marry for a total of 20 months of barrel élevage. This wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered to present the attributes of the vineyard in the purest form possible, from the dirt to the glass!
