Nose
This wine opens with intense blackberry and spice aromas with cherry and caramel undertones.
Palate
On the palate are dried cherries with black currant and a bit of chocolate. The mouthfeel is sleek and silky with a mocha finish.
Growing Conditions
The growing season of 2015 brought some challenges to our harvest. The spring brought us very early bud break but fortunately no frost. However during bloom the weather turned cold and rainy which resulted in the vines setting a very small crop. Weather through the summer was optimal without any excessive heat spikes or rain events. Between the small crop, the early budbreak and bloom the warm summer the fruit ripened to a near record early harvest. We started picking at the end of July, and while a couple of heat spikes during harvest kept us on our toes, mostly moderate weather allowed us to bring in the fruit at a reasonable rate. With the small crop and good weather the vines produced grapes with excellent concentration and intense character.
Winemaking
Individual vineyard lots were destemmed, partially crushed and cold-soaked for 2 days to extract color and
flavors. Three times a day punch down or pump over schedule was tailored to each lot to extract the fruit characters. The juice is then barreled fermented and aged in French oak barrels with 47% new oak for 9 months.
Food Pairing
Bold black fruit flavors paired with cedar blend together providing a profile fit for roast chicken with cherry chipotle sauce or ham with a blackberry rum glaze. The touches of oak and earth combined with luminous acidity compliments aged hard cheeses such as Pecorino Romano, Smoked Gouda or Mezzo Secco.
