Winemaker's Notes
Deep garnet in color, this wine has aromas of milk chocolate, dark, roasted coffee and plum which open to an impressive palate with a core of black stone fruit, cassis and toasted pecans. It finishes with firm, chewy tannins, smoke and spice. Alcohol 14.7%
Harvest
Harvest Date
September 19 - October 18
Harvest Brix
25.8° - 26.5°
Growing Season
Following veraison, conditions were ideal throughout a long growing season. Warm days and cool nights produced a balanced crop with lighter than average yields, allowing for maximum development of flavors, complexity and color in the grapes. Marked by massive tannins and balanced acidity, this vintage will likely produce some of the best wines of the decade.
Winemaking
Hand-harvested grapes
Fermented in 5-ton open top and 5-8 ton closed-top stainless steel fermentors with indigenous yeasts
6-7 day cold soak, 25-30 days total maceration
Spontaneous malolactic fermentation in barrels
Aged 20 months in oak barrels (92% French; 8% American); 70% new
Varietal Composition: Cabernet Sauvignon 97% / Petite Verdot 2% / Cabernet Franc 1%
