Nose
This deeply flavored wine opens with aromas of
crushed raspberry, graham cracker, and vanilla.
Palate
The elegant red fruit character, supported by
well-integrated tannins, picks up jammy, sweet raspberry and vanilla crème flavors. Inviting
nuances of milk chocolate and a silky texture with balanced acidity keep bringing you back to
the glass. Additional cellaring will reward the collector.
Growing Conditions
Two natural events persist in California, droughts and earthquakes, and in 2014 we
experienced both in the Napa Valley. Pine Ridge Vineyards sits on solid rock so the winery did
not suffer damage during the earthquake. It was the third consecutive year of drought and the
third fantastic vintage with perfectly ripe fruit coupled with high acidity. Weather overall was
a bit cooler than in 2013, but conditions were excellent with no real threat to the vines. A mild
winter combined with heavy rains in February and March nourished the thirsty vines and resulted
in early budbreak.
Harvest
The grapes were hand harvested at night, carefully sorted in the vineyard,
then brought to the cellar and destemmed.
Winemaking
Following a cold soak, fermentation occurred at
a high temperature to ensure maximum extraction was achieved.
Aging
The wine was racked to 60
percent new French oak barrels, where it was aged for 18 months prior to bottling.
Appearance
Medium-ruby-colored.
Food Pairing
Pair this wine with Cabernet-braised venison or beef cheeks. This silky wine from
one of Napa Valley’s most prestigious appellations deserves to be paired with a cheese of
comparable stature. Although many people use Parmigiano-Reggiano as a grating cheese,
Italy’s “King of Cheese” is a phenomenal table cheese as well. Use a blunt-edged knife to cut
chunks, not slices, from a wedge.