Taste

This singular and elegant wine reflects the characteristic depth of Bordeaux varieties and the winemaker’s art in blending. A violet-red color precedes inviting aromas of black currant, graphite, toasted sourdough and peppercorn. The wine is luscious with cassis fruit, a pearly/velvety entry, notes of peat and savory herbs and fleshy plum flavors ending with medium grip tannins and a succulent finish.

Grow

The 2013 vintage in the Alexander Valley was among the earliest on record. Warm days and gentle breezes during the May bloom period ensured an abundant crop and water availability was sufficient to deter the development of raisins. Perfect weather conditions allowed us to harvest at optimal timing with no weather-driven compromises or concerns.

The steep hillsides of the Alexander Valley with its shallow but still healthy soils that have good water holding capacity and ideal exposure are a perfect home to our Bordeaux varieties. The combination of diverse soil types and solar aspects lead to complexity in flavors and subtle variations in ripening that add layers and dimension to the wines. Our more northerly situated vineyards were fully mature in late September and the cooler sites at the southern end of the valley (and the notoriously late season Petit Verdot) matured in early October.

Make

Over 35 years ago a rare coin bearing the head of the legendary thinker, ruler and adventurer, Alexander the Great, inspired our winery’s owner at the time to name his top-tier wine − a deep, complex, thought-provoking red blend − Reserve Alexandre after the remarkable and influential man. To this day we continue the rich tradition with our noteworthy Bordeaux blend. Grapes for the 2013 Reserve Alexandre were hand-picked between September 17 and October 11, 2013. Fermented in stainless steel, the wine underwent 100% malolactic secondary fermentation followed by 20 months of oak aging in 100% French oak (30% new).