Nose
boasts fragrant red and black cherry, red raspberry, strawberry and rose petal aromas.
Palate
It has a smooth, mouth-coating texture, velvety tannins and delightfully silky red raspberry, cherry and strawberry flavors that take on a spicy tone in the long, juicy finish
Winemaking
The fruit was handled gently and cold-soaked for several days prior to fermentation to extract early color and flavor, with the stems retained in certain lots to impart a light spice tone. The must was allowed to warm up naturally over the course of a week before native yeast from the vineyards spontaneously initiated fermentation, which was subsequently sustained by inoculating with a cultured yeast strain. Gentle daily punchdowns during fermentation extracted optimal color, flavor and tannin from the skins. The new wines aged in French Burgundian oak barrels, 38% new, for seven months before being blended in April, 2013. The blended wine then spent another three months in barrel prior to bottling in July, 2013.
Aging
10 months in French oak barrels, 38% new
