Nose
Blackberry and dark currant dominate the depth of flavor with nuances of blackberry jam on toast, dark chocolate truffle with cocoa dust, cinnamon and clove. The oak is very well integrated, adding just the right amount of spice. The wine has great depth of black fruits with a strong expression of sweet black cherry. There is a complexity in the nose that hints of tobacco and a briary thicket.
Palate
This full-bodied cabernet sauvignon has well-integrated tannin which yields a very pleasant, fruitful finish.
Growing Conditions
The above average rainfall for the winter and spring left the precipitation totals more than a third above normal by the end of June. The cooler, wet spring delayed bloom and disrupted fruit set, resulting in shatter in parts of the region. The cooler-than-average growing season continued througout summer resulting in a later-than-average harvest. The delayed maturity of the fruit, coupled with a few early autumn rain storms, made for a very challenging harvest season. With experience, we were able to overcome these obstacles, producing really fine wines expressing the aromas and flavors preserved by a cooler than average growing season.
Harvest
Various dates between October 12-18, 2011, average 23.0° Brix
Bottling
June 2014
Winemaking
After a five day cold soak, fermentation was in stainless steel fermentors at 75°-86° for 10-28 days skin contact.
Aging
Barrel aging, 27 months. 100% French Oak (43% new) with Cooperage: World Cooperage, Marchive, Sylvain
Appearance
Opaque dark ruby describes the color of this Rutherford wine.
