Nose
Our 2013 Altvs is a classic beauty offering up fresh black current or
cassis-like fruit on the nose - a product of fermenting Coombsville Cabernet
at low temperatures in small closed-top fermenters.
Palate
Hints of violet on the
palate are classic to the Petit Verdot varietal. The wood is restrained in flavor
but present in structure to create a thick, succulent and classic mouthfeel.
Growing Conditions
Founded in 2005, Altvs produces small quantities of handmade Napa Valley
Cabernet Sauvignon. We source fruit from a handful of serious growers
with hillside and benchland vineyards up and down Napa Valley. Our style
emphasizes balance, fruit purity and intensity.
In any given year, our ‘Merus’ and ‘Altvs’ bottlings offer both yin and yang
expressions of the same vintage. With vintage 2013, we depart from the
Merus methods of old and begin using those that we feel better capture the
essence of Coombsville fruit with an eye toward wines of great perfume and
elegance. The Altvs comes from selecting barrels that showcase fruit and pure varietal
character that is more feminine than masculine within the context of the
vintage.
Bottling
Altvs is bottled unfiltered.
Winemaking
We ferment primarily whole berries at 75 degrees using 100%
indigenous yeast which ultimately allows us to bottle without filtration.
Aging
25 months in French Oak, 80% new; Bottled Unfiltered
