Nose
This dark red wine has aromas of black licorice, peppercorn and dried fruit flowing into notes of vanilla and cinnamon.
Palate
On the palate, the earthy richness gives way to red cherry and peppercorn then rolls into vanilla, baking spice, and cigar box, all pulled together by the velvety texture and substantial body that make this wine uniquely Rutherford.
Growing Conditions
The fruit for this wine is from the original estate property at Sequoia Grove, a vineyard planted in the mid-1990s to all five Bordeaux varietals, and the newer estate property called Tonella. The Sequoia Grove site is cooler with more alluvial soils. The Tonella site is slightly warmer with rockier, clay-based soils.
Bottling
May 2016
Winemaking
All of the fruit was picked by hand and then berry sorted before undergoing a 2-day cold soak. Each small lot was inoculated with one from an assortment of French yeast strains, with gentle pumpovers done 2-3 times per day.
Aging
The wine was racked two times and aged in our underground cellar for 22 months.
