Nose

Swirling with layered aromas of fresh red raspberry, blackberry
pie and ripe cassis, this wine enraptures the senses with fragrant dried violet,
gingersnap, dark cocoa and sweet basil impressions.

Palate

Plush and exuberant, the palate
opens with red cherry, juicy boysenberry and red plum fruits that intermingle with hints
of cinnamon stick and graham cracker pie crust. The complex array of flavors lasts
through the lingering finish, framed by velvety tannins and echoes of cherry cordial and
roasted espresso bean.

Growing Conditions

With consistently mild temperatures throughout
spring and summer, 2012 was a stellar vintage in Napa Valley, allowing slow, even
ripening and yielding exquisite, balanced fruit.

Harvest

The fruit for this wine was harvested at
an optimal level of ripeness in late September through October. The berries were handharvested
at night, carefully sorted and destemmed to tank, where fermentation took
place.

Aging

Racked to 35% new American oak barrels, where it was aged
for 18 months prior to bottling.

Appearance

Deep ruby.

Food Pairing

Bold and voluptuous, this extremely food-friendly wine will pair famously
with a variety of hearty dishes, from grilled hangar steak with summer vegetables, to
pappardelle with lamb ragu, to a cheeseburger with fries. For a cheese course that will
be sure to impress, try this bottling alongside Abbaye de Belloc, a semi-hard ewe’s milk
cheese from the Basque region of France.