Nose
On the nose, aromas of cassis and dark fruit abound with an
undertone of blueberry.
Palate
On the palate, an explosion of blackberry, dark cherry and dark
chocolate combine beautifully with the vanilla and cedar notes of French oak bringing a
polished finish to the wine. Concentrated flavors, abundant fruit and lively acidity and a
long, persistent finish present
Winemaking
The grapes are hand-harvested and gently crushed to retain 40% whole berries. Color extraction uses a combination
of destelage (draining juice and returning over the skins), with gentle cap irrigations. The grapes were drained and
pressed at dryness. The free-run and press wines were kept separate. Following fermentation the wine went through
malo-lactic fermentation in barrel. The wine was aged in 93% French and 7% American oak, thin stave barrels for
26 months and racked several times to naturally clarify the wine and soften the tannins. With no filtration or fining,
the wine was laid down in bottle for 26 months aging prior to release.
