Nose
The unique nose opens with wet slate, graphite, freshly crushed blackberries, and notes of a cigar box.
Palate
Big and unctuous, this well- structured wine shows flavors of licorice, black olive, anda hint of sanguine.
Growing Conditions
This wine is single block, single clone (Alban), and comes from the one north-facing slope on the Vineyard. Known for its boldness and balance.
Our property varies in elevation from 1600 to 1780 feet, with steep north and south facing slopes. Soils are shallow, well drained loam with a high concentration of fractured shale throughout the growth horizon. Alta Colina lies on the hilltops of a 130 acre ranch, with 31 acres of grapes. There are 15 blocks—each carefully matched with the optimum rootstock, variety, spacing, trellis, and orientation for the soil in that particular block.
2022: this harvest marked our earliest ever, with Grenache Blanc for sparkling being picked as early as August 4th. The early harvest was driven by an intense heat dome that lingered over California for more than nine days, with daytime temperatures exceeding 110°F and minimal diurnal temperature shifts, causing nighttime temperatures to remain in the 90s—an exceptionally rare event for our region. This accelerated the pace of harvest as we raced to bring in the fruit. 2022 also boasts the most rain we’ve ever received in a season. Rainfall totaled 39″+
Winemaking
The grapes undergo fermentation initiated by indigenous yeast in 1.5-ton open-top fermentors, utilizing a combination of pump-overs and punch-downs performed two tofour times daily. The regimen of movements is adjusted through daily sensory evaluations, focusing on flavor, tannin, and extraction. Following fermentation, the wine matures in oak barrels for eighteen months before bottling, followed by an additional ten months of bottle aging.
No fining or filtration
Aging
100% French oak; 31% new barrels, 37% once-used hogsheads and puncheons, and the balance neutral vessels of varying sizes
Food Pairing
Eggplant parmesan, a roasted leg of lamb, and slow-braised short ribs.
