Harvest Date October 22

Growing Season An outstanding vintage. Plentiful winter rains opened a particularly fine season. Unusually moderate and uniform climatic conditions prevailed throughout the growing season. Vineyards were exceptionally well-balanced. A long and even maturation period, coupled with occasional morning fog, combined to produce fruit of stunning concentration.

Winemaking

• Hand-harvested grapes
• Fermented in open-top stainless steel fermentors
• 5-day cold maceration, 32 days total maceration
• Fermentation with indigenous yeast
• Malo-lactic fermentation in barrels
• Aged 19-months in French oak barrels, 50% new Taransaud
• Unblended, unfined; bottled August 1996