Nose
A dark, dense wine packed with aromas of ripe
black fruit, blackberry jam and cocoa interleaved
with notes of tobacco, dried fruit and licorice.
Palate
A
full-bodied, nicely balanced profile offers hints of
graphite and is replete with soft, velvety tannins that
coat the palate and provide a soft, lingering finish.
Growing Conditions
At the time 2014 was the hottest vintage on
record, with growing degree days 25% higher than
historical average. It stayed hot and dry well into
the fall, creating a compacted harvest that began
ten days ahead of schedule and finished two weeks
early. Hot summer days reduced berry size and
lead to wines with intense flavor and depth. The
youthful tannins from our first Estate Cabernet
Sauvignon harvest add finesse and refinement
to this young wine.
Winemaking
Harvested from the Menozzi Vineyard that
surrounds our home, our inaugural Estate Cabernet
is an intense but delicate wine, consisting of 92%
Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Merlot that was
harvested and co-fermented together. This was
later blended with a hint of Petit Verdot (1%) to
add body and complexity to the finished wine. The fruit was carefully hand
harvested, sorted and fermented in small opentop
containers.
Aging
The wine was aged for 22 months
in new and neutral French oak barrels prior to
final blending and bottling.
