Wine Profile
Awards
96 points - Wine Review Online
Production Notes
Varietal Content
77% Merlot
14% Cabernet Sauvignon
6% Cabernet Franc
3% Petit Verdot
Cooperage
100% French oak château-style barrels (60 gallons)
Age of Barrels: 100% New
Winemaker Notes
The aroma offers layered elements of fresh baked cherry pie, red licorice, and vanilla bean. On the palate, juicy boysenberry and blackberry layers intermingle with notes of strawberry, cherry, orange rind, and cinnamon spice, accented by earth tones and subtle oak.
Production
The 2005 season began with a wet winter and spring, which led to annual rainfall totals that were well above average. We had an ideal fruit set, which produced an abundant number of full grape clusters. As a result, the vintage yielded exceptional fruit for the season. The harvest lasted over two months—into the early days of November. In many ways the 2005 season was reminiscent of the excellent 1997 vintage, which offered an abundant harvest of remarkable quality.
Other Notes
Released: April 2008