Nose
As you pull the cork the aroma transports you to the vineyard then takes
you back to that warm cozy feeling
from your childhood, when you got off
the bus, walked in the door and your
mom was baking homemade cookies!
Palate
On your pallet, dark ripe fruits, spice
box, anise, gripping young tannins and
minerality. A finish that lingers on and
on. This young wine should be decanted prior to serving through 2012. True
reflections of Francisca’s Vineyard.
Growing Conditions
2010 Stands alone due to extraordinary events! If it was not for the cool temperatures
and the higher than normal precipitation we would have experienced just a regular WA
State year. 2010 was very challenging both in the vineyards and in the cellar. Techniques and procedures during crush, not tried in our winery’s history, were pulled out
of the tool box and applied. The results speak for themselves. Merlot and Syrah stand
out showing depth and chewy mouthfeel already and with late ripeners Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot showing more classic and complex “Bordeauxesque” undertones
of earth and spice.
Winemaking
As always at Francisca’s Vineyard the ability to hang the fruit until the end of the season makes for highly
concentrated flavors and ripe tannins! The grapes are gently popped open for extraction purposes, cold
soaked and fermented at lower temperatures to retain the feel of the vineyard. The wine post macerated
on the skins until the extraction is complete and then gently bled off to barrels for malolactic fermentation. No pressure is ever applied to any of our wines!
Aging
15 Months in 60% new oak, 100 % French
Appearance
The color looks lush & inky.
