Nose
ripe, fragrant aromas of wild berry, black cherry and dark plum, with hints of blueberry and sage.
Palate
Dramatically rich and concentrated on the palate, it boasts a deep core of intensely lush, dark cherry, black plum and blackberry flavors beautifully structured by lively acidity and supple tannins
Growing Conditions
2014 was another in a series of excellent vintages in northern California. The season began with a warm, dry spring, which led to early bud-break and trouble-free vine flowering and grape set. Summer was consistently mild with few heat spikes, which allowed our Suscol Springs grapes to ripen slowly and evenly, developing impressively concentrated flavors. Given the early start to the growing season, harvest began several weeks earlier than normal, with the grapes for Guajolote harvested between September 7th and October 8th.
Winemaking
Blending acumen is perhaps the important measure of a vintner’s skill, and our winemaker, Julianne Laks, is a master of the art. Julianne is especially adept at taking small lots of different grape varieties and blending them seamlessly into wines that are far greater than the sum of their parts. Each component lot of Guajolote is hand-harvested at night to preserve the fruit’s freshness and purity, then fermented in small stainless steel tanks, using manual punchdowns to gently macerate the juice and skins and extract optimal color and flavor. The 2014 Guajolote was aged for 16 months in French oak barrels, 50% new, prior to bottling in April, 2016.
Aging
16 months in French oak barrels, 50% new
