Nose

The nose elicits scents of pink lady apple, pears, pineapple, vanilla and chamomile.

Palate

Flavors of tropical fruit, peaches, vanilla and fresh apple pie are carried by bright acidity to a long finish punctuated by a creamy mouthfeel.

Growing Conditions

A cool spell in August stalled harvest a bit at the outset, but a warm September brought a mad dash to the finish. All in all, 2016 was another high-quality vintage despite small volumes for some varietals due to cool, rainy weather at flowering. Sustainable farming practices throughout the growing season were tailored to each block with the assistance of aerial photos produced using NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) technology. The fruit was hand-picked at night and sorted in the vineyard.

Winemaking

The grapes were gently whole-cluster pressed while the fruit was still cool. The juice was pumped to tank to cold-settle overnight before it was racked to barrel for primary and malolactic fermentation. The lees were stirred every two weeks to give the wine rich flavors and a creamy texture. Each barrel was hand-selected for this wine.

Aging

9 months in French oak barrels (85% new)

Appearance

Upon release, the wine is straw yellow, but the color will deepen with age.