Nose
redolent of sweet black cherry, black plum and blackberry with notes of earth, dark chocolate and oak vanillin.
Palate
On the palate, the wine boasts lush dark cherry, pomegranate and cassis flavors, which culminate in a long, savory finish showcasing fine tannins, rich berry fruit and refreshing mineral tones
Growing Conditions
The 2012 vintage was one of California’s finest in recent memory. Consistently mild summer weather free of rain and significant heat spikes allowed for even, uninterrupted ripening and the opportunity to harvest our Suscol Springs grapes with an ideal balance of sugars and acidity.
Winemaking
Blending acumen is perhaps the important measure of a vintner’s skill, and our longtime winemaker, Julianne Laks, is a master of the art. Julianne is especially adept at taking small lots of disparate varieties and blending them seamlessly into wines that are far greater than the sum of their parts. Each component lot of Guajolote was hand-harvested at night to preserve the fruit’s freshness and purity and then fermented in small stainless steel tanks, using manual punchdowns to gently macerate the juice and skins and extract optimal color and flavor. The 2012 Guajolote aged 16 months in French oak barrels, 53% new, prior to bottling in April, 2014.
Aging
16 months in French oak barrels, 53% new
