Nose
Its black garnet hues are resplendent with
aromas of blueberry, currant, cocoa and wet slate.
Palate
The palate is silky and rich, and
powerfully charged with intense, finely sculpted layers of graphite and dark chocolate.
The velvety mid‐palate crescendos toward an endless finish graced with fine yet stately
tannins.
Growing Conditions
2009 began with an abundance of spring rain followed by mild, steady
summer temperatures that set the stage for nearly ideal growing conditions. The well‐set
fruit ripened slowly allowing for an excellent balance of sugars and acids to develop. The
resulting wines can be characterized as elegant and rich with profound depth and
structure.
Harvest
Hand‐harvested grapes.
Bottling
Unblended, unfined and unfiltered; bottled June 2011.
Winemaking
Fermented in small, closed‐top stainless steel fermentors with indigenous yeasts
5‐day cold soak, 28 days total maceration
Native malolactic fermentation in barrels
Aging
Aged 20 months in small French oak barrels; 100% new.