This year’s vintage is intense, rich and structured. The wine opens up with aromas of black currant and licorice, and a few minutes of air releases sweet blackberry aromas.

This is a wine of weight and balance. The flavors are intense with extract of black currants, cardamom and blackberry concentrate. A dusting of nutmeg and cracked peppercorns adds savory components while velvet tannins add to the power and texture of the wine. The wine is almost purple-black in color. Thirty minutes of decanting will enhance the berry flavors. This blockbuster wine will go best with hearty flavors, like grilled and roasted meats, vegetables, strong cheeses, garlic and dark chocolate.

Delicious today, this wine will age well for several years.

Harvest Notes: We harvested by hand in the foggy early morning of October 19, 2010.  The long and cool growing season allowed extended time for the fruit’s flavors to develop. The slower ripening at cooler temperatures gave the fruit fully matured tannins, but slightly lower sugars, and therefore lower alcohol levels. We had a burst of warmth in October, which brought the fruit to full ripeness. The vintage offers rich flavors, deep color, and lower alcohol levels for a complex and balanced full-bodied wine.  We believe the ’10 will be an exceptional vintage.