Nose
The layers and complexity to the nose of a wine this young is astounding. Blackberry compote, crushed violets and black plum are immediately apparent, complemented by a range of mocha and clove spice.
Palate
The wine is immense on the palate, lush with sweet cassis and cedar as well as some interesting flint minerality.
Growing Conditions
The mountain grapes were sourced from neighboring York Creek Vineyards and the valley floor grapes from the Cyrus Ryan vineyard which borders the St. Helena and Calistoga appellations.
Harvest
2018 was a perfect year, more even so on the mountain than in the valley. We had a hot but manageable summer, and fall was warm without any rain in site. Perfect conditions for a winemaker to pick at the optimal time of ripeness.
Winemaking
Maceration time for the valley floor fruit was longer than for the mountain due to the lower juice to skin ratio of mountain fruit. Many tasting trials occurred to decide what mountain wine to blend into the valley floor fruit. The result was that a few of the top lots vs just one made the best wine.
Aging
22 months in French Oak Barrels
80% new and 20% two to five years old
Appearance
MMV is very dark purple at the core.
