Nose
dense aromas of ripe boysenberry, dark plum and cassis layered with scents of loam, forest-floor spice and dark chocolate.
Palate
On the expansive palate, intense, concentrated flavors of blackberry, black cherry, boysenberry, plum and chocolate are balanced by well-structured, ripe tannins and culminate in a very long, persistent finish highlighting dark berry, earthy spice and mineral tones
Growing Conditions
In 2013, a warm, dry spring initiated early bud-break, ensured trouble-free vine flowering and grape set, and led to a consistently mild summer fostering steady, even ripening and grapes with wonderful flavor concentration. Our Dancing Bear fruit was night- and hand-harvested between September 14th and October 1st to maximize freshness and varietal intensity.
Winemaking
Given the stressed vines and small berries typical of Dancing Bear Ranch, our winemaking goal is to fully capture the fruit’s intense mountain character while avoiding overly aggressive tannins. Winemaker Julianne Laks carefully monitors tannin levels in the juice and wine during fermentation and maceration. After the component lots of Dancing Bear achieve an optimal balance of fruit intensity and tannin, she drains the free run wines from their skins and ages them in French oak barrels prior to blending in the spring following the vintage. Our 2013 Dancing Bear – a blend of 93% cabernet sauvignon and 7% merlot representing five of the vineyard’s distinctive clonal selections – spent a total of 22 months aging in French oak barrels, 56% new, prior to bottling on August 3rd, 2015.
Aging
22 months in French oak, 56% new
