Nose
This wine offers bold aromas of raspberry, blackberry and violets along with a hint of spicy toasty oak.
Palate
The fresh berry notes carry over onto the palate and combine with ripe plum, evolving into unsweetened chocolate on the finish. This is a balanced and harmonious wine with a soft lush mouth-feel and a long pleasant finish. It has a long evolution ahead of it in the bottle and will cellar gracefully for 20 years or more.
Growing Conditions
The 2012 vintage was pure joy. The growing season was moderate with spring and summer being warm, but not challenged with heat spikes. The vines looked full and balanced which fooled most growers and winemakers. As soon as we started to pick, we realized this was going to be a monumentally large harvest. With the continuing moderate weather, we let the fruit mature at an even pace. After the first few pump-overs of fresh wine, we knew that this was going to be a special vintage. The fruit was not overripe, but entirely mature: skins, seeds and pulp. This resulted in a wine that is dark in color, round and powerful. It has bright berry and herb aromas, dense mid palette with good structure and a long finish that encapsulates the essence of barrel and delicious blue and red fruit.
Aging
18 months in 100 percent French oak, 41 percent new.
Appearance
Dark inky purple in the glass.
