varietal: 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot
appellation: Paso Robles
vintage: 2019
alcohol: 15.5%
ta:0.56 g/100ml
ph:3.82
Acclaim: 93 points, Wine Enthusiast; 93 points, Wine & Spirits; 91 points, James Suckling
Vineyard Details: The majority of Cabernet Sauvignon for this blend came out of Margarita Vineyard block 49, situated on a gently sloping hillside running east-west, while the Petit Verdot came from block 44A. These grapes are hand-harvested in the dead of night when it’s the coolest and the skins are firm.
The balance of the Cabernet Sauvignon hails from the 40-year-old Grosso Kresser Ranch just south of the Willow Creek/Adelaida sub-appellation border.
Winemaker Notes: Our Margarita Vineyard grapes were all picked the evening of Oct 23rd, 2019. The Grosso Kresser fruit was picked on the evening of Nov 3rd. All fruit was crushed into one-ton bins where they were allowed to macerate for 5 days with one punch down per day prior to inoculation. The grapes were punched down twice a day during fermentation and once a day post-fermentation for another 9 days before pressing.
Maturation: The Margarita Vineyard Cabernet and Petit Verdot, and the Grosso Kresser Vineyard Cabernet were settled and racked into a mix of 36% new French and 64% once/twice used French barrels. All lots held in separate barrels. After another racking and further aging for 26 months, the barrels were blended, and the wine bottled.
