From superbly mature and well-drained sites on rocky east and west sides of the Oakville District AVA, next door to Screaming Eagle, downslope from Harlan, and near To-Kalon vineyards.

Clusters were field-sorted, hand-harvested, hand-sorted at the winery, and de-stemmed and cold-soaked for 4 days in open-top, temperature-controlled fermenters. Two daily punch-downs (depending on the lot) during fermentation kept the caps immersed and extracted superb flavor and structure. After twenty-one days (Merlot) and thirty days (both Cabernets) on their skins, we gently pressed into barrels where the lots completed ML fermentation over the winter.

Barrels were of the highest quality; 100% French, 45% new, three-year air-dried, medium-toast with toasted heads and handcrafted by Boutes, Francois Frères, and Nadalié. Twenty-one months maturation in barrel with two rackings and one egg white fining integrated flavors and developed its wonderfully balanced, yet textured mouth-feel. We bottled only seven barrels.

The mélange of these three varietals added complexity, regal mouth-feel, softness and completed the classic “Bordeaux Right Bank” blend profile.