The fruit was handpicked from a vineyard that lies on the ancient soils that surround the foothills of Mount Saint Helena and delivered to the winery before day break. Destemmed and then sorted by hand, the grapes were then allowed to have four days to cold soak at 50F, with brief pump-overs, once a day. On the fifth day, we allowed the tanks to warm and inoculated the juice with a strain of yeast isolated from the left bank Estates of Bordeaux, France. We encouraged a warm fermentation, pumping over twice a day to ensure healthy yeast growth and balanced extraction of tannins and flavor. Once fermentation was complete the wine was pressed to barrel, whereupon it underwent natural Malolactic fermentation. The wine was then aged in barrels deep in our caves for 18 months, before being racked and gently filtered, prior to bottling in June.

Opaque purple in the glass with lifted aromas of cigar box, cassis, ripe plums, and a touch of graphite. The power and depth of the tannins are complemented by the wine’s silky texture. The flavor evolves from ripe blackberries, moving towards graphite then blue fruits. Matured in new French Oak barrels, the wine has a substantive mouth feel, making it intense and immensely enjoyable, with or without food.