WINEMAKER’S NOTES:
Sourced from the coveted Summit Block at Oakville Ranch high in the eastern red hills of Oakville, this unique wine hails from one of the finest areas in the world for growing Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. We have been making wine from these vines for a decade, and the results are always spectacular. Co-fermented in this vintage, these two varieties show the absolute best of what Oakville has to offer. After 22 months in barrel and one year in bottle, this blend is tightly knit together, but with a softness and polish that makes it immediately accessible. Ripe and intense, this vintage is at once round and textured, as well as taught like a high wire. Bright plum and huckleberry, cedar, wet stone, clove, cocoa and bay leaf are just a few of the descriptors that are apropos of this multi-layered wine, along with tertiary tones such as balsam, antique book binding, and frankincense.
TASTING NOTES:
Fantastic aromas of blackberries and blueberries with hints of flowers and pencil lead. Full-bodied with velvety, creamy tannins and a long, flavorful finish. Some bitter lemon, bitter chocolate and grilled toast at the end. 60% cabernet franc and 40% cabernet sauvignon. Drinkable now, but better in two or three years.
– James Suckling, 98 pts