Summary

pH: 3.68
Titratable acidity: 0.59 g/100mL
Alcohol: 14.6%

Malolactic:100%
Residual sugar 0.01%
322 cases produced

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. While this vineyard is relatively young, it has already gained a reputation for producing luscious vineyard-designate quality wines. Located in the rolling hills just west of the Laguna de Santa Rosa, the climate is cool and the vigor of the vines can be dialed in by controlling the amount of irrigation the vines receive. Clonal material consists of Swan selection, one of the mainstays of North Coast viticulture, as well as Dijon 115 and Pommard clones.

Cool weather during harvest allowed the grapes to ripen at a leisurely pace, developing tasty flavors and fine-textured tannins. The fermentations progressed smoothly after a week-long soak, during which native yeast flourished. The grapes were destemmed into one-ton fermenters and punched down by hand and pigeage. After pressing, the wine was aged in 65% new French oak and 35% one-year-old French oak. After 10 months of aging, the wine was bottled.

Tasting Notes

This wine is reminiscent of Mom's best pie – a bunch of black cherries, spice, and vanilla in the mouth, along with these same notes and a hint of well-integrated oak on the nose. The fruit melds with spice and fine-grained tannins. The texture becomes velvety with air and gives way to a smooth, cool finish.