Nose
Intricately woven, dense black currant, black peppercorn, and
cardamom. Notes of molasses and flint lend a very deep and complex
aroma. Hints of bay leaf and honey linger in the glass.
Palate
A bursting palate, with a big mouthfeel and structure, stuffed
with dark cherry and plum. Hazelnut and anise, with hints of sage, all
add to the richness and layered complexity of this wine. Big in stature,
yet supple. A powerfully flavorful wine with grace and restraint, it
finishes long with black currant and savory notes.
Growing Conditions
2014 was another year of low rainfall and warm temperatures in Napa Valley, which once again resulted in an early harvest with excellent flavor intensity and beautiful ripeness in the fruit. The winter started off very dry with no rain from December through February. In late March and early April, we received a good dose of rain that started the vines growing with ample water in the root zone. Throughout most of the growing season, conditions were textbook normal for fruit set and ripening, which gave us an abundance of high-quality grapes. Harvest of our hillside fruit on Mount Veeder began with Malbec on September 9. We began picking Cabernet Sauvignon off of our Rosenquist Ranch on September 12, with the last grapes off of the North Ranch coming in on October 9.
Winemaking
Pre-fermentation cold soak of four
days to enhance color and body. Fermentation and
maceration averaging 24 days to build structure and
integrate mouthfeel.
Aging
20 months in small oak barrels,
100% new oak.
Coopers: Saury, Sylvain, Vicard
Appearance
Dark Garnet
