Nose
The aromatic notes are hillside-focused with intense white pepper, baking spice, cocoa, bramble and crushed mint leaf.
Palate
On the palate, the entry is very black fruit-centric accented with roasted meat and graphite notes.
Growing Conditions
2013 is considered as strong a vintage as the Valley has seen in a generation. The 2013 growing season was a warm dry year at the beginning of a multi-year drought. The lack of rain and warm growing season intensified the fruit and produced smaller, concentrated berries resulting in dark and rich wine with higher levels of tannins. The warm dry weather in October allowed the grapes to fully ripen to a perfect balance of phenolic, sugar, tannins and acidity.
Aging
20 Months, 100% New French Oak
Appearance
In the glass the wine exhibits an opaque deep purple hue with a rose petal halo.
Food Pairing
The mid-palate carries the bulk weight of the experience densely laden with bittersweet chocolate, star anise, wet river stone, and dehydrated blueberry. Through the long-lasting finish all these notes come together and disperse cleanly while being held upright with a firm tannin structure. This wine is a classic brooding, hillside Cabernet Sauvignon, while still maintaining an elemental lightness of character that keeps it nimble. With 3-5 years of rest in the cellar, the structured edges will fade, revealing a softer, nuanced expression, while maintaining the complexity and richness readily present today.
