The aromas are distinctive and engaging, with notes of ginger, passion fruit and graham cracker. On the palate, Bartlett pear, lemongrass and stone fruit flavors support a bright mid-palate, before leading to a lengthy finish that highlights the varietal’s classic viscous texture.
From our first Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc blocks to our final red-varietal Estate picks, our 2009 harvest spanned more than two months. Though the 2009 growing season presented certain challenges—from early shatter to late-season rain—attention to detail and site-specific techniques in the vineyards yielded a crop of high-quality fruit. This included aggressive leafing, an early thinning protocol and a heavy field sort to select only the most desirable grapes.
Appellation: Napa Valley
Harvest Dates: August 24-30, 2009
Average Sugar at Harvest: 20.1° Brix
2 Vineyards Harvested
Varietal Content
100% Sémillon
Cooperage
100% French Oak Château-style barrels (60 Gallons)
100% Barrel-fermented in 50% new, 50% 2nd vintage oak
7 months sur lie
Alcohol: 12.4%
0.52 g/100 ml titratable acidity
21 days fermentation at 50° F
pH: 3.53
Bottled: April 2010
Released: May 2010