| Vintage: | 2009 |
| Appellation: | Sonoma Valley |
| Acid: | .68 |
| PH: | 3.79 |
| Alcohol %: | 14.5 |
| Tasting Notes: | The cooler vintage produced a more evenly balanced wine, with intense fruit flavors and soft tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon, the prevalent varietal of this blend, provides structure and adds bright cherry and blackberry flavors while showing rich in the middle. Merlot gives the wine a bit of softness with a big cherry punch! Malbec rounds out the structure, adds a copious amount of blueberry aroma and produces the deep crimson color. |
| Vineyard Notes: | Although 2009 marks the third year in a row of below average rainfall, it was the unique weather conditions that defined this harvest in particular. Rains in May took the edge off the drought and were responsible for the beautiful, full-strength photosynthetic canopies we had going into harvest. The roller coaster weather throughout the summer created an unstable ripening curve, but when we needed it most, a heat bump gave the grapes a push towards ripening. The cool weather returned and we were back to slow, even ripening. |
| Production Notes: | The fruit was fermented for 30 days in a pumpover tank. The wines were pressed at dryness and then placed in 100% French oak barrels (45% new oak) for 18 months.The final wine was blended and bottled in April of 2011. |
The cooler vintage produced a more evenly balanced wine, with intense fruit flavors and soft tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon, the prevalent varietal of this blend, provides structure and adds bright cherry and blackberry flavors while showing rich in the middle. Merlot gives the wine a bit of softness with a big cherry punch! Malbec rounds out the structure, adds a copious amount of blueberry aroma and produces the deep crimson color.
Although 2009 marks the third year in a row of below average rainfall, it was the unique weather conditions that defined this harvest in particular. Rains in May took the edge off the drought and were responsible for the beautiful, full-strength photosynthetic canopies we had going into harvest. The roller coaster weather throughout the summer created an unstable ripening curve, but when we needed it most, a heat bump gave the grapes a push towards ripening. The cool weather returned and we were back to slow, even ripening.
The fruit was fermented for 30 days in a pumpover tank. The wines were pressed at dryness and then placed in 100% French oak barrels (45% new oak) for 18 months.The final wine was blended and bottled in April of 2011.
