Nose
Aromas of boysenberry syrup, dark chocolate truffle, ripe blueberries and sweet dried fruit compote. There is a complexity in the bouquet of tobacco, coffee and dark chocolate.
Palate
The flavor is big, rich, sweet and massive. There is an underlying fruitfulness with notes of dark cherry, blueberry and fruitcake spices. Cask 86 is a wonderfully rich, red, dessert wine.
Growing Conditions
The 2015 winter was one of the driest on record for the Napa Valley. The region received 75% of normal precipitation. The relatively dry, warm winter promoted early bud break, and a cool spring supported a long flowering period. The balance of the season was moderate to warm, the crop was light, with small clusters and small concentrated berries, and the fruit ripened about two weeks early on average. A moderate harvest gave way to a warm spell that completed the ripening process a bit early.
Harvest
September 23
Bottling
August 2017
Winemaking
5 day cold soak followed by fermentation in stainless steel fermentors at 75-86°F and arrested mid-fermentation with distilled grape spirits.
Aging
Barrels: 100% French oak (0% new)Cooperage: World Cooperage.Aged in Barrel: 19 months
Appearance
Opaque, deep ruby colored.
