Nose

s black cherry and vanilla
with hints of cedar and all-spice

Palate

black currant, anise and cassis

Harvest

Another year of drought, including the driest fall in recorded history, led to very early bud
break. Perfect weather in April and May helped the vines to grow steadily throughout early
spring while also facilitating good pollination leading to above average crop levels. The early
bud break and uneven ripening temperatures throughout spring and summer moved
everything ahead of schedule with pick dates as early as two weeks ahead of average. A slight
heat wave in July pushed the ripening forward but cool temperatures in August helped to
balance the ripening and preserve acidity and color in the grapes

Winemaking

Fermentation: BRL97 @ 78-82F
Malo-lactic: Vinaflora strain ML bacteria
BBL age: 34 months 225 liter barrels
New oak: 75%
Primary Coopers: Bel Air, Quintessence
Barrel Type: 100% French oak

Aging

34 months 225 liter barrels