Summary

Grapes sourced from Klopp Vineyard, 100% 7-year-old vines
Hand harvested September 16, 2000 at approximately 25.3 degrees Brix
25% whole cluster, 3 day soak, 8 day fermentation, 21 day post-fermentation maceration
70% new and 30% 1-year-old French oak barrels, aged for 12 months in barrel
300 cases produced
Retail price $36.00

Vineyards and Winemaking

The grapes for this bottling were sourced from Ted Klopp's exceptional vineyard, which lies on the same sandy/silty Goldridge soils profile as the nearby Dehlinger and Kistler vineyards. A viticultural ying-yang, this vineyard is planted to a hand-picked selection of Swan, considered to be one of California's finest heirloom selections, as well as the modern, sought-after Dijon 115 clone from Burgundy.

Budbreak, flowering, and fruit set all started earlier than normal, setting the stage for potentially early harvest with abundant fruit. Consciencious thinning was required to balance yield and the timing of harvest slid into its normal time frame as relatively cool days prevailed. The grapes were simply destemmed with approximately 25% retained as whole clusters, then left to soak prior to the start of a native fermentation. Part way through, a small amount of a commercial yeast strain was introduced to ensure completion of the process. After extended maceration and pressing, the wine completed malolactic fermentation in new and one-year-old French oak barrels, where it aged for twelve months prior to bottling. Only 300 cases were produced.

Tasting Notes

A big, juicy mouthful of ripe blackberries form the first impression of this wine. Blackberry aromas mingle with smokey and toasty notes contributed by new and one-year-old French oak barrels. Rich, intense, and concentrated, this wine possesses the trademark Talisman silky texture and finishes with mouthwatering persistence.