varietal: 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc
appellation: Paso Robles
vintage: 2020
alcohol: 15.%
ta:0.56 g/100ml
ph:3.96
Acclaim: 95 points, Wine Enthusiast
Vineyard Details: Almost equal parts Santa Margarita Ranch Vineyard block 49 and Hastings Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon from high up in the Adelaida hills. These are complimented with Willow Creek district’s Grosso-Kresser Vineyard Cab and a small amount of Casagrande Vineyard Cab from the far west side of the Adelaida district. Cabernet Franc rom Hastings Ranch Vineyard rounds out the blend.
Winemaker Notes: All grapes in this blend were hand-picked in the middle of the night between October 10th and October 26th. Each lot was fermented in small, one-ton fermentation bins and punched down by hand twice a day until they reached 5% sugar at which point punch down frequency changed to once a day until dry and the cap dropped.
Maturation: The wines were aged in a mix of new French oak barrels (30%) along with a smaller number of new French/American hybrid barrels (10%). French neutral barrels were used for the balance. Wines were racked twice during ageing with final blending during the second racking at one year.
Tasting Notes: “This is a complex expression, thanks in part to the 11% Cabernet Franc. Aromas of roasted plum, chocolate, mahogany and black olive recall a wooden booth in a classic bar. The palate hits with acid and then a tannic bite, offering strawberry, chai and mace flavors that are lively while rich. Tannins cling on for an extended finish, offering licorice spice to say goodbye.” — Matt Kettmann, Wine Enthusiast
