Palate
The expectation from Pritchard Hill is that the wine will be huge, given the
amount of tannin in the fruit. Our role is to unlock the ultimate quality of
the wine by fostering the quality of that tannin. While the 2013 Melanson
Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is unsurprisingly big, it is darker than usual, with
more stuffng than we’ve seen in prior vintages. This highlights the tremendous
performance of Clone 337, which deepened from a red-fruited and high-toned
flavor to a much blacker fruit profile that makes the wine characteristically
Pritchard Hill—mountainous and tannic, yet also balanced by acidity and
abundant fruit with extraordinary aromatics.
Indeed, what is most remarkable in the 2013 vintage is this balance, not often
a hallmark of big wines. Instead of one characteristic stealing the show, each of the
components is equally opulent. So while there may be an increased amount of tannin,
there is an increased presence of fruit to accompany it. A more black-fruited quality
that might give another wine less of a mouth-watering character is here superbly
matched by an elevated acidity. Anything that might be expected to dominate or
overpower has its proportionate counterpart in this abundantly balanced wine.
We like presenting wine in a fresher state, which is why we bottle it while it is
still exhibiting some primary fruit. Wine lovers can decide whether to drink it now
or lay it down for further aging. Without question, the 2013 will cellar beautifully
Growing Conditions
Those who assumed the Melanson Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon reached
the pinnacle of quality last year weren’t wrong. And yet, the 2013 vintage is even
more astonishing.
The 2013 growing season was perfection on Pritchard Hill. The relentless
summer heat was less intense on the slopes and, thanks to superb farming and
early nourishment of the vines, factored into an exemplary yield. Every aspect
of the fruit is showing in ideal form in our wine. Sometimes overshadowed by
Clone 7 in previous years, 337 came beautifully into its own in 2013 with a much
blacker fruit profile and the deep, brooding tones we work to nurture in hillside
fruit—producing the best wine ever from this remarkable vineyard.
