Nose
On the nose,
layers of cherry, clover and orange spice mingle with notes of smoked meat and cracked
pepper.
Palate
The cherry and game layers are echoed on the rich, round palate, along with
hints of violet, sassafras and zesty minerality. While the finish is long and silky, a
refreshing note of acidity adds firmness, while framing the berry and game flavors.
Growing Conditions
2015 began with a very warm February and March, followed by
abundant heat from mid-May to late June. To address the early season heat, which
spurred the vines to a very early start, we tailored our irrigation, crop size and shading to
the needs of the vineyard. From July on, the weather returned to seasonal averages,
allowing us to fine-tune our viticulture in the run-up to harvest.
Harvest
Though harvest was our
earliest ever, thanks to knowledge gained from other warm vintages, the quality of the
fruit was exceptional. We harvested the Tablas Creek clone of syrah on September 9th,
at 24.3º Brix. Our cabernet sauvignon and mourvèdre were both picked on September
16th at 24.4º and 21.7º respectively.
Bottling
February 2017.
Winemaking
Grapes were harvested by hand and hand-sorted on shaker tables, with
gravity transfer to tank. 33% of the syrah was fermented whole cluster. The rest was
destemmed, as was the cabernet and mourvèdre. All fermentations were native yeast: the
syrah fermentation lasted 14 days, the mourvèdre 13, and the cabernet 13. The ferments
were kept cool, and only free-run wine was used.
Aging
The lees were excellent, so we aged
the wines with them in neutral puncheons and barrels. Cellaring lasted 17 months, with no
new oak, and the wine was blended prior to bottling. After bottling, the wine was given an additional year to integrate before release.
