Nose
Boysenberry, graphite and caramel let you know you are in for a treat
Palate
This wine is a place where caramel and brown sugar meets leather and forest floor. A big, jammy mouthful that is lush and seamless, full of rich Cabernet character.
Growing Conditions
In the heart of Napa Valley, our Yountville Estate has an amazing lineage spanning over 140 years. Located on a hillside benchland, the well-drained soils are relatively thin due to their position atop the ancient alluvial fans. Areas of volcanic ash soils at the ranch show in the young wines as chalky tannins which are tamed with the extended maceration. Recent changes to row direction, vine spacing and new clonal selections have only continued to enhance the wine quality at this superb site. All of this allows for extended harvest hang-time which we use in conjunction with careful canopy management to maximize filtered light within the vines, thus allowing the fruit to ripen evenly. The wines are sent to French oak barrels individually to mature, providing greater understanding of the direct impact of our viticultural practices each vintage.
Harvest
The 2013 growing season was perfect! Below average rainfall, early spring budbreak, even fruit set and a hot summer. All of us in Napa Valley fast-tracked our summer bottlings to make room for an early harvest. Our white varietals had above average yields which slowed their arrival to the winery, which the small berry size on our red grapes had them rushing ahead of schedule. We started crushing Merlot practically from day one. Our estate Cabernet ruled the last two weeks of the vintage, enjoying extended macerations. Fast & furious was the ultimate pace of the vintage from beginning to end.
Bottling
Bottled: April 2016
Winemaking
33 Days Skin Contact; 100% Stainless Steel Fermentation
Aging
23 Months Aged in French Oak; 100% New French Oak Barrels
Food Pairing
Red-wine braised short ribs on a gratin of root veggies sounds like a positively wicked pairing.
