Palate
Impeccably smooth and velvety; this reserve stock cabernet is an elegant wine with hints of dusty earth and great depth.
Growing Conditions
2012 will be a vintage to remember. Near perfect weather conditions resulted in a rare combination of high quality fruit and an abundant crop load. Thanks to dry conditions through winter and spring, the 2012 growing season started off with an earlier than typical spring bud break, bringing it forward by an average of one week. A mild and sunny spring resulted in steady flowering and even fruit-set, allowing the vines to set yields as much as 20% more grapes per cluster compared to previous vintages. The summer months brought a lengthy stretch of warm days and cool and often foggy nights, with veraison taking place in early July, a full two weeks earlier than in 2011. The cool period at the end of September, followed by unusually warm weather in the beginning of October, allowed for development of a harmonious balance of acids and sugars, and high polyphenol content in reds.
Harvest
The majority of fruit was picked at ideal ripeness prior to the arrival of rain in late October, making coordination of the avalanche of grapes arriving in the winery one of the greatest challenges of the harvest. 2012 promises to be truly exceptional; with wines of well-structured tannins, rich concentration, and developed aromatics defining the vintage.
