2020 was a wild ride of a year. The growing season started out warm, but temperatures cooled as Spring rolled in. From that point on, daytime temperatures were moderately warm and followed by cool evenings. These mild temperatures allowed the vines the opportunity to focus on developing more complexity and flavors in the fruit. So while the overall quantity from the 2020 harvest is down in comparison to years past, the quality remained exceptionally high.
All grapes were hand-harvested and hand-sorted to ensure the highest quality fruit. The fruit underwent a two-day soak prior to fermentation for a total of twenty days of skin contact. 100% malolactic fermentation occurred over a five-month period. The wine was aged for ten months in French oak barrels from Francois Freres, Cadus, Sylvain & Rousseau.
The ruby-purple color is medium in depth, fading to a hint of garnet at the rim. Equally ripe and herbaceous, it features aromas of black cherry, black raspberry, coriander, violets, cedar, and sweet spice. There is plenty of ripe cherry on the palate out the gate, with satiny tannins and complimentary hints of fresh herbs, baking spice, and a note of earthy anise.