Nose
An abundance of exquisite aromas of bright cherry, blackcurrant
and ripe blackberry, balanced by roasted coffee, brown sugar and toasted coconut
engage the nose of this opaque ruby wine.
Palate
The palate explodes with luscious fruit notes
of blueberry, cassis, and warm blackberry pie beneath robust tannins and touches
of dark baking chocolate, graham cracker and star anise that echo throughout its
unwavering finish. The tremendous balance, depth and complexity of this wine provide
evidence of its age-worthiness, therefore, we recommend decanting for at least one
hour before consuming this wine in its youth.
Growing Conditions
For this special bottling, only the finest blocks of the most outstanding
fruit are selected from our 200 acres of estate vineyards across the Napa Valley.
Every vintage, the appellation composition of this wine will vary depending upon the
performance and character of each region that year.
For 2008, the blend is composed
of 57% Rutherford, 26% Oakville, 9% Carneros, and 8% Stags Leap District fruit.
The 2008 vintage was extremely variable, opening
with an intense frost that resulted in limited fruit set, then proceeding to be one of the
driest seasons on record which reduced berry weight further. A long, cool summer
allowed flavors to develop fully before a heat wave encouraged prompt picking.
Harvest
The small
but flavorful clusters were night-harvested mid-September through early October and
underwent intensive sorting prior to being destemmed into tank.
Bottling
Bottling in May
2010.
Winemaking
20 days on the
skins.
Aging
Aged in 60% new French oak barrels for 19 months.
Food Pairing
With a palate as complex and multifaceted as this, the sheer beauty of
this wine would be showcased best against a simple yet savory dish, such as braised
beef short ribs with Yukon gold whipped potatoes and spinach with hot bacon verjus.
Alternately, try this wine with a simple, dry aged cheese like a five-year aged Gouda to
bring out every layer of the wine’s intricate flavor.