Nose
Enticing aromas of sweet oak, nutmeg and cinnamon with fresh, ripe boysenberry, pine sap, wet soil, violets, and dried fig.
Palate
Chewy tannin upfront, with a fresh, crisp acidity that follows into notes of tart red cherry, black plum, fresh cranberry, and a little dried herb.
Growing Conditions
Hawks Butte vineyard was planted in 1999 using Clones 1 and 667. This vineyard is southwest facing with a high elevation of 1,200-1,500 feet.
Harvest
Harvested September 16, 2014. The 2014 vintage started out dry, but an abundant February rain came just in time to break the winter drought. Warm spring temperatures encouraged an early bud break that kept vineyard development ahead of schedule throughout the entire season. We had a condensed harvest that began September 3rd and concluding on September 24th. For the first time, our Pinot Noir and Syrah harvest overlapped. Abundant sunshine and cool evenings created near ideal conditions for ripe and balanced wines with yields falling in the normal range.
Winemaking
50% Whole Cluster fermentation
Aging
100% neutral French oak
Appearance
Deep purple hues.
