HARVESTED: September 8th-23rd, 2021
VINEYARD: Santa Cruz Mountains
SOILS: loamy clay
BOTTLED: April 2023, 145 cases
COMPOSITION: Cabernet & Merlot
ALCOHOL: 13.7%
WINEMAKER: Charlie Miller
VINEYARD MANAGER: Thayer Dunwoody
VINTAGE NOTES
2021 vintage was truly a postcard vintage! The continued severe drought had a predictable (and not bad) effect: the berries themselves were smaller, which generally means smaller crops, smaller clusters but concentrated, high-quality wines. The growing season started earlier in the year – also drought-related – so the harvest started sooner and moved faster than usual. The post-veraison period was warm but mostly moderated, leading to steady and very even ripening. Vintages of such magnitude generally deliver wines with great transparency to the vineyard.
WINEMAKING NOTES
The grapes were handpicked, sorted, and destemmed. Fermented in small lots, a combination of inoculated and indigenous yeast ferments for a combination of control and complexity. Punched down twice daily and in some cases pumped over. Left on the skins for anywhere from 10 to 21 days. Drained and pressed to a combination of new and used French Oak barrels. 19 month elevage. Obsessively tasted and trialed prior to assemblage. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.
TASTING NOTES
Bright raspberries, red roses, and crushed granite perfume giving way to a racy fruit forward wine shining with blueberries and sour cherries. Well structured and gorgeous mid palate mouthfeel. Light in tannin and full of red fruits, a great match for any red pasta sauce or grilled meats.
CELLARING
Enjoy now or over the next 3-5 years.