Vineyard and Vinification Techniques
The blocks selected for our ISOSCELES Reserve program come from the topmost hillsides of our Estate vineyard. Soils are a combination of volcanic ash and limestone and soil fertility is very low due to erosion which naturally devigorates canopies and crop load. Aggressively pruning the vines helps focus the plants stored carbohydrates on promoting strong early growth in shoots. When shoots reach around 6 to 8 inches, we remove any growth not intentionally left at pruning. To help intensify color, ripen tannins and maintain healthy vines, we increased sun exposure and air circulation by removing laterals and creating a tunnel through the middle of the canopy. In May, we removed smaller fruit bearing shoots that might have had difficulty ripening their clusters to decrease production and increase fruit quality. The warm summer provoked early verasion, and to ensure we had even maturity throughout the vineyard, we removed green or pink colored fruit. Yields of less than 1.5 tons per acre extended the growing season and resulted in small, intense clusters rich in color, flavor, and complexity.