94 Points, James Suckling; 94 Points, Wine Enthusiast; 94 Points, Decanter; 92 Points, Wine Spectator; 91 Points, Jeb Dunnuck
Winemaker’s Notes
A dark and brooding Cabernet Sauvignon with intense red and dark purple appearance in the glass. Fragrant aromas of black cherry, dark chocolate, black licorice and toasted oak are greeted by plum, Mission fig, cassis and black olive tapenade flavors on the palate with hints of anise and espresso. A structured, full-bodied wine with bright energy, texturally refined tannins and a lengthy dark fruit finish.
Winemaking
The fruit was hand-harvested in cool morning hours, sorted twice—first by hand, then by a de-stemmer removing stems before berry sorting. Fermentation followed a skin-resting period with warm temps and gentle cap maceration for color and structure. After extended maceration, the wine was pressed and transferred directly to barrel for 19 months of maturation.
Forty-two percent of the blend was fermented in oak, eighteen percent of the sorted berries were fermented in small French oak tanks, and twenty four percent of the sorted berries were fermented in new French oak barrels, all to add layers of complexity and nuance to the blend.