Aging and Bottling
Our winemaking team began sampling the ripening grapes on a regular basis in early September. During the last few weeks before the grapes were picked, we tasted the skins, juice and seeds two to three times per week. We evaluated color, flavor and tannin ripeness to determine the exact harvest date. A skilled crew handpicked the grapes into ½ ton picking bins. Once at the winery, a sorting area removed any less than perfect clusters. Our crusher-destemmer removed all of the stems and lightly crushed the grapes. The must (crushed grapes) was then placed in a stainless steel tank. UV-43 yeast, a strain known for its intense cherry and berry characteristics, then fermented the wine to dryness over a ten-day period. During fermentation, the fermenting wine was pumped over for about 35 minutes up to two times daily to extract the ripe tannins and intense flavors from the skins. The long, consistent growing season resulted in very balanced, concentrated flavors in all five varieties used in the blend. We extended the maceration for two to three weeks past fermentation to intensify extraction. To brighten fruit characteristics we added small amounts of Merlot and Malbec. Malolactic fermentation took place in barrel to help incorporate the oak faster. Twenty-six months in 100% new French Oak helped soften the tannins and lengthen the mid palate. We blended the wine in August and put it back into barrel for fifteen months to ensure the wine was integrated before bottling. The wine has been bottle-aged for 11 months prior to release.