Nose
Integrated aromas of fig, plum and cherry with notes of sweet pipe
tobacco, clove and cedar prepare your palate.
Palate
flavors of vibrant fruit
framed by hints of vanilla and nutmeg. The wine has a seamless
transition from a rich mid-palate with lush tannins to a lengthy finish
with persistent flavors including a touch of toast. It has only started to
open up and will benefit from aeration before drinking.
Growing Conditions
Estate vineyard on Napa Valley floor on Pratt Avenue in the St. Helena
AVA. Sympa is grown on the south parcel, “Block 1,” on a ribbon of
gravel that is an ancient river bed with deep, light soils that stress the
vines into low fruit production. The vines are cane pruned and handtended
to yield two clusters per shoot. The parcel yields two tons per
acre. Cover crops are primarily legumes. Irrigation is light and
determined by monitoring vine sap flow throughout the season.
Bottling
Bottled September 2014.
Winemaking
Hand-picked fruit, double sorted to berry level
Cold soak before fermentation, 5 days
D254 yeast fermentation
14 days extended maceration
Racked twice
Aging
22 months in French Oak barrels: Bossuet, Darnajou, Orion.