Nose
black fruit, blueberry, and earthy
undertones with wisps of brighter cherry fruit
Palate
dusty tannins, ample juicy
fruit .
Growing Conditions
The 2013 winegrowing season at Tournesol was outstanding. A warm, dry spring
brought early bud break, helped with canopy vigor and berry size and created ideal
conditions for bloom and fruit set. Temperatures remained moderate throughout
spring and summer with uniform growing days, resulting in even ripening and
exceptional flavor development. At harvest, the fruit showed great balance of
acidity and sugar, beautiful color and developed tannin structure.
Winemaking
The cooler, sunny weather in October allowed the Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc
still on the vine to linger longer, developing more flavor maturities. Harvest of the
Malbec began on September 14th followed two weeks later by the Cabernet
Sauvignon. The grapes were immediately taken to the winery and de-stemmed into
small, open-top microvinification bins where the juices and skins fermented and
macerated between 16 and 35 days, dependent on variety and vineyard block. Each
bin received hand punch-down treatments and was monitored daily by winemaker
Ken Bernards.
Once fermentation was complete, the wine was racked into thin-staved new French
oak barrels selected from an array of forests with various toast levels for up to 21
months. Proprietors Bob and Anne Arns’ original concept in planting the vineyard
was to create a mosaic of Bordeaux red varieties that could be fashioned into an
individual wine.
Aging
20 months in new French oak
Appearance
Opaque ruby core with bright purple rim.
