Nose
Rich depth filled with red fruit, dark cherry, blueberry, and nicely integrated oak spices. It contains nuances of dark chocolate cherry truffle, cocoa powder, tobacco and bay laurel.
Palate
The palette is reminiscent of red raspberry and cherry juice with firm yet resolved tannin structure and balance of body and acidity. A great example of a mountain Cabernet, with rich extraction of abundant flavors resulting in excellent depth.
Growing Conditions
The winter was one of the driest on record for the Napa Valley; however, when we did get rain, it came when the vines needed it most, promoting bud break and new shoot growth. The balance of the season was moderate to warm, the crop was abundant, and the fruit ripened about two weeks early on average. 2014 was a wonderful harvest yielding great wines with immense depth of flavor.
Bottling
April 2017
Winemaking
5-day cold soak, inoculated with D245 and Melody yeast, 10-day fermentation at 88° F at the peak for a total of 18-23 days of skin contact.
Aging
Aged in barrel 27.3 months; Barrels 100% French oak (68% new)
Appearance
Very dark with dark ruby edges.
