Nose
The nose shows intense aromas of ripe red fruit flavors interwoven with spices notes like black pepper, thyme, curry, with layers of cedar.
Palate
The mouthfeel is rich with layers of cassis flavors and notes of black pepper, clove, leather and tobacco. The finish is bright and fresh with finely grained tannins.
Growing Conditions
Agrelo Vineyard (950m/3116ft). Alluvial origin. Clay topsoil with rounded rocks on the bottom (30% Sand - 30% Clay - 40% Silt)
Harvest
Dry weather (precipitations 20-60% lower than usual), small berries and slightly lower yields; cooler temperatures overall. The 2019 harvest happened about 1-3 weeks earlier than usual, and the grapes were in pristine condition with not a drop of botrytis or downy mildew.
We were concerned that there would be problems with frost, because of the dry spring, but a constant evening breeze made frosts rare this year. And outside of Agrelo, there were no significant hail storms. We expected the harvest to be larger than usual, but the combination of dry weather and cool climate resulted in yields slightly lower than the norm.
Winemaking
This wine goes through cold maceration for 3 days at 50ºF (10ºC). The juice is then fermented for 20 days with a post-fermentation maceration of 10 days.
Aging
12 months in barrel (35% new). Barrel selection varies depending on vineyard and vintage. 100% French oak.
Appearance
Purple color with ruby red reflections
