Nose
The nose comes on with intense dried strawberry, brown spices and some toasty sweet oak.
Palate
The mouth continues and adds some black cherry, with bramble and a touch of cedar. The body is moderate with a smooth mouthfeel all the way to the bright finish.
Growing Conditions
Gravel Knob, as the name implies, has rocky soils, which causes the vines to struggle, putting all their effort into the fruit.
The 2014 growing season got off to an early start with budbreak about two weeks earlier than average. A late winter weather system brought in enough rain to supply the vines through bloom, and mild warm spring weather gave us good fruit set. Mild weather through the growing season without rain events or heat spikes was optimal for the development of the fruit. The early spring brought on an early harvest with average size yields of excellent fruit. This is looking to be an outstanding vintage.
Winemaking
Individual vineyard lots were destemmed, partially crushed and cold-soaked for 2 days to extract color and flavors. Three times a day punchdown or pumpover schedule was tailored to each lot to extract the fruit characters.
Aging
Aged in French oak barrels with 33% new oak for 9 months.
Appearance
Pale ruby colored.
Food Pairing
Sweet oak and brown spices engage together with smoked Carnitas tamales with wild rice pilaf and dried cranberries. Black cherry and cedar blend together providing a profile fit for rack of lamb with roasted cherries and mint jelly. The toasted oak compliments aged hard cheeses such as Pecorino Romano, Gouda or Mezzo Secco.
