95 points, Wine Enthusiast
94 points, James Suckling
Admiring this wine’s deep purple hue in the glass reminds us why it has become such a mainstay in our portfolio. Redolent with blue and black fruits, this rendition’s aromatics are metered by notes of cinnamon, white pepper and cola. With a bright vibrancy, juicy notes of chocolate-covered blueberry meld with Earl Grey tea and bay leaf on the palate. The velvety smoothness of the tannin structure brings a refined element to the wine’s finish and makes it irresistible now. However, it will benefit from extended aging and should show nicely through 2039.
Pair with homemade Shephard’s pie, crafted with love. Or for music lovers, pair this with “Smoke on the Water” by Deep Purple, a song that played in my head when recently tasting this wine
The 2019 growing season began with a wet, cool spring, and summer was relatively uneventful, with no heat spikes. As a result, veraison did not end until early August in some areas of the valley. Autumn brought hot days and cool nights, which helped the grapes achieve full ripeness while preserving their acidity, and produced full and robust wines with deep color.
Our estate vineyards were harvested on multiple dates between September 24th and October 2nd to maximize the specific ripeness attributes we were aiming for at each site.
Grapes were hand-harvested at night, when temperatures often dip to 50˚F, to capture vibrant acidity and fruit expression. After a gentle cold soak, the grapes fermented in stainless steel, concrete, and oak barrel fermenters at 92˚F. Rigorous pump-overs, increasing during peak fermentation, developed deep color, rich varietal character, and fine tannins. 100% new French oak barrel aging melded the bright fruit with oak spice nuances. After three months of aging, we blended the vineyard components then allow them to marry during the remainder of the 26 months of barrel-aging. This wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered to present the attributes of the vineyard in the purest form possible, from the dirt to the glass!
