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,T73 yeast @ 78-82F
BBL age: 34 months 225 liter barrels
New oak: 74%
Primary Coopers: Quintessence, Vicard Prestige, Sylvain, Alain Fouquet, Bel Air
Barrel Type: 100% French oak
Aging
100% French oak, New oak: 74%
