Nose
An intense dark berry fruit nose combines seamlessly with hints of chocolate, cloves and black pepper.
Palate
The palate is fleshy
and lush, in perfect balance with black cherry, strawberry, cigar wrap and spices. Chewy tannins and a long finish make this
wine approachable when young but sure to cellar nicely for 10-15 years.
Growing Conditions
The season was marked by healthy winter rains, followed by a spring with ideal bloom conditions, which provided a uniform
fruit set. A summer of consistent temperatures and a late season warmth ensured nice ripe tannin and color development.
The berry size turned out to be smaller than usual, and therefore the wines are more intense, dense and rich. This is the
vintage you want to stash for as long as your patience permits.
Bottling
Bottled: September 17th, 2015
Winemaking
All fermentations were conducted in small, two ton fermenters filled by gravity. A three day cold soak period preceded a
warm fermentation peaking at 90°F. The fermenters were punched down 3 to 4 times a day during the fermentation period.
After fermentation was complete, the grapes were kept in contact with the wine for a variable number of days, depending on
how the wine tasted, to extract the best tannins from the fruit and avoid the harsher, late-extracted tannins
Aging
22 months in 75% new French oak
