Nose
“Concentrated aromas of extravagant blueberry, blackberry, and black currant meet caramel, maple, and lavender dark chocolate in rich fragrance. Focused and intense, blackberry and currant notes intermingle with their more subtle counterparts of coffee bean, freshly ground vanilla, mocha, walnut and a hint of orange zest. Full-bodied with fine tannins, the finish is long and rewarding. Drinking beautifully now, this stunner will age gracefully over the next 25+ years.”
Palate
“Concentrated aromas of extravagant blueberry, blackberry, and black currant meet caramel, maple, and lavender dark chocolate in rich fragrance. Focused and intense, blackberry and currant notes intermingle with their more subtle counterparts of coffee bean, freshly ground vanilla, mocha, walnut and a hint of orange zest. Full-bodied with fine tannins, the finish is long and rewarding. Drinking beautifully now, this stunner will age gracefully over the next 25+ years.”
Growing Conditions
February saw abundant rains, followed by lots of filtered light in spring and early summer. Both bud break and flowering occurred a bit late but under ideal weather conditions, creating plentiful and even fruit set. Summer brought generous sun during the day and cooler marine influences, virtually uninterrupted by major heat spikes. The relatively mild summer followed by extended fall sunshine and moderate heat created near-ideal conditions for us to allow our fruit to accumulate flavor complexity with gradual increases in sugar levels. We saw a 20-30% increase over average crop quantity.
