Nose
wonderfully dense, layered nose of ripe black cherry, boysenberry, blackberry and blackcurrant complemented by intriguing scents of warm earth and dark chocolate.
Palate
Deeply concentrated on the palate, the wine delivers deliciously lush dark cherry, blackberry, boysenberry, plum and cassis flavors supported by smooth tannins and vibrant acidity, culminating in a rich, lengthy finish enlivened by savory spice and mineral tones.
Growing Conditions
In 2013, a warm, dry spring initiated early budbreak, ensured trouble-free vine flowering and grape set, and led to a consistently mild summer that fostered steady, even ripening and grapes with wonderful flavor concentration. The fruit for our Vaca Red was night- and hand-harvested for freshness and varietal intensity between September 17th and October 8th.
Winemaking
Our 2013 Vaca Red is a blend of multiple lots of wine from our three Vaca Range vineyards. Each lot was separately harvested, cold-soaked (to enhance color, flavor and tannin extraction), tank-fermented and barrel-aged prior to blending. Tank size, yeast strain, fermentation temperature and barrel type were tailored to the fruit character of each lot. The 2013 Vaca Red spent 22 months aging in French oak barrels, 50% new, prior to bottling on July 30th, 2015.
