Nose
Its
black garnet hues express aromas of violets, exotic spices, carob and wet stone.
Palate
Silky and
rich, the wine is powerfully charged with intricate layers of graphite, leather and toasted
almond wood. The super‐fine, velvety mid‐palate crescendos toward a seemingly endless
finish.
Growing Conditions
2010 graced Napa County with a long, cool spring. In March, the young
tender vine buds were protected from frost by blankets of fog. As summer approached, the
fog lingered on the coastline, which kept Napa’s evenings, nights and early mornings cool
and damp. Mid‐days were warm and occasional heat spikes in late summer and early fall
encouraged ripening. The wines from 2010 are structured and bright.
Harvest
Hand‐harvested grapes.
Bottling
Unfined and unfiltered; bottled June 2013.
Winemaking
Fermented in small, closed‐top stainless steel fermentors with indigenous yeasts
5‐day cold soak, 28 days total maceration
Spontaneous malolactic fermentation in barrels
Aging
Aged 20 months in French oak barrels; 100% new.