Nose
Floral notes of lavender and violets jump out of the glass accompanied by hints of blood orange and allspice. Juicy blueberries
and blackberry jam coat the palate framed by black olive, white pepper and coffee notes.
Palate
The marvelous mouthfeel
combines a vibrant acidity with opulent, smooth tannins. This wine will continue to develop for 7-12 years.
Growing Conditions
Two thousand fourteen was the third year of the drought cycle; however, it began with adequate soil moisture supported by
well-timed rains resulting in an overall pleasant growing season. Warm and moderate weather with plenty of sun ripened
grapes completely and made this an early budding and early harvesting vintage. Similar to the last two vintages, this year
gave us an average sized crop with this one yielding soft, hedonistic wines that showed delicious fruit very early on.
Harvest
The grapes were harvested throughout the month of October.
Bottling
Bottled: January 19th, 2016
Winemaking
All fermentations were conducted in small, two ton fermenters
filled by gravity. Two thirds of the grapes were destemmed, and the rest were fermented as whole clusters. A five day
cold soak period preceded a warm fermentation peaking at 90°F. The fermenters were punched 3 to 4 times a day during
the fermentation period. After fermentation was complete, the grapes were kept in contact with the wine for a variable
number of days, depending on how the wine tasted, to extract the best tannins from the fruit and avoid the harsher, late extracted
tannins.
Aging
14 months in 50% new French oak
