Nose
The 2014 Rediviva of the Stones begins with layered aromas of flowers,
cinnamon, clove, roast game and a hint of savory sesame oil.
Palate
On the palate, floral
elements from the cabernet and refreshing minerality from the mourvèdre underscore
flavors of raspberry, orange zest and cracked black pepper, with the signature silky
tannins of the “Stones” carrying the wine to a long, intense finish.
Growing Conditions
2014 delivered abundant spring heat, leading to early budbreak and
flowering. To address the heat, which continued through summer, we tailored our
irrigation, crop size and shading to the needs of the vineyard. In the run-up to harvest,
Mother Nature delivered ideal temperate weather, which allowed us to pick exactly when
we wished.
Harvest
We harvested the Tablas Creek clone of syrah for this wine on October 6th, at
23.0º Brix, with our Clone 174 syrah coming in two days later at 23.6º Brix. The cabernet
sauvignon and mourvèdre were both picked on October 13th at 23.4º and 23.7º Brix
respectively.
Bottling
February 2016
Winemaking
Grapes were harvested by hand and hand-sorted on shaker tables, with
gravity transfer to tank. 10% of the syrah was fermented whole cluster. The rest was
destemmed, as was the cabernet and mourvèdre. All fermentations were native yeast: the
syrah fermentations lasted eight days, the mourvèdre 11 and the cabernet 14. 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 16
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.
