Nose
The nose is earthy, with a hint of black pepper.
Palate
The palate is rich and soft with a finish of black cherry. The wine is very elegant and will pair well with tomato-based dishes, spicy foods and many winter dishes.
Growing Conditions
The 2014 vintage was another dry year for the vineyard and most of the precipitation occurred just before bud break. The spring rain was a welcome sight as it allowed for normal vine canopy growth. The rest of the growing season consisted of cool mornings and warm days. Much like the previous vintage, this growing period began earlier than anticipated. We had a dry spring with no frost after bud break, and an average crop load. The summer was warm with cool mornings. Mid-September and beginning of October we experienced a heat spike which is normal for California. The fruit was harvested during the early morning on October 3rd.
Winemaking
The grapes were gently de-stemmed, cold macerated and fermented in a one-ton bin. They were punched down over the course of fermentation to extract as much fruit as possible. The wine was then pressed into barrels for malolactic fermentation and aged 26 months in French oak.
Appearance
intense black color, showing a nice concentration.
