WINEMAKER’S NOTES

This is a rather rare style for Petit Verdot. It shows what can be achieved with the right vineyard and the appropriate attention to detail in the winemaking process. This wine has finesse, power, complexity, and impeccable balance—a rarity amongst Petit Verdots. Deep dark purple in color with perfumed notes of violets, marionberry, mulberry, sandalwood, and dark chocolate. Intense notes of marionberry, huckleberry, black cherry, roasted herbs, and black licorice on the palate supported by ripe tannic structure and nervy acidity. Additional nuances of dark chocolate, incense, espresso, earth, and tar notes appear on the long finish. The wine is very concentrated with high amounts of dry extract. This wine can be enjoyed in the next year or two for its youthful exuberance, but 6-8 years of patience will be generously rewarded with added layers of complexity, will hold for 12+ years.

TECHNICAL DETAILS

The wine had a pre-fermentation maceration of 142 hours and was punched down by hand 3 times each day during macerations and fermentation. All individual wine components, including free run and press fractions, were kept separate until final blending. The oak profile is 30% new French oak (predominantly from Troncais and Alliers) and 70% neutral French oak. The wine achieved its sparkly brilliance from 3 judicious rackings, no fining agents were employed. The wine was very lightly filtered to capture any remaining lees. The alcohol is 15.1%, pH is 3.72, and the titratable acidity is 6.2 g/L.

CASES PRODUCED   82

VARIETALS   95% Petit Verdot, 5% Merlot

APPELLATION   Dionysus Vineyard, White Bluffs