Appellation: Santa Lucia Highlands Monterrey County
The Vineyard
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Location: Situated on one of the highest grape-growing benches in the Santa Lucia Highlands, the vineyard reaches elevations up to 1,200 feet.
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Climate: The vineyard benefits from a cool, coastal climate characterized by early morning fog from Monterey Bay and gusty afternoon winds. These conditions contribute to a prolonged growing season, allowing grapes to develop full, robust flavors.
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Soil Composition: The soil comprises a calcareous base beneath a layer of sandy loam, providing excellent drainage and low fertility. This combination encourages low yields and enhances fruit intensity.
Tasting Notes
Scarlet red in color with an aromatic medley of gooseberry, raspberry, and cranberry with hints of ginger, black pepper, and shaved milk chocolate. Dark fruit on the palate with flavors of wild berries, milk chocolate, toffee, black cherry, and ground nutmeg. Rich and structured, this wine has beautiful acidity that lingers through to a long, mouthwatering finish.
Winemaking
We harvested early in the morning so the fruit would arrive at the winery while the grapes were still cool to preserve the vineyard-fresh flavors. After de-stemming (but not crushing) the berries, we cold-soaked the fruit for up to two weeks to soften the skins and allow for ideal extraction. During fermentation in a combination of closed and open-top stainless steel fermenters, we used both punch-downs and pump-overs to extract color and tannins, and also to control temperatures and maximize flavors. We aged the wine in 100% French oak (60% new) for up to nine months. After the wine underwent malolactic fermentation, we racked it twice before making the final blend
