Winemaker's Notes
My winemaking for this has evolved from a slightly traditional gestalt to more of a Burgundian approach of no racking at all until bottling after three (or more) years in barrel. It suits the fruit well and I think the wines are better for it as we don’t squander the material’s long term oxygen appetite by handling in the open air. Those of us with grey hair may not appreciate the value as much of collecting young wines with tremendous life-expectancy at this point in life. But I’m an optimist, hoping to see the long game play out beautifully.
Cassis, red cherry, cocoa, a hint of Levi Garrett chewing tobacco (don’t ask) are the aromas that filled the winery when I racked to the bottling tank after 45 months in barrel without racking [most wineries are on the market by 24 months of harvest, mostly for archaic tax accounting reasons]. Bright, mouth-watering entry is followed by appropriately firm structural tannins. These carry through completely like a railcar carrying the flavors from aroma to the finish as they make their way slowly off into the horizon, always in sight but growing smaller all the time [while the credits roll by on the screen]. Not bombastic, nor diminutive, this rides right in the middle lane – not the flashiest, not the impenetrable-just the comfortable, glorious middle.
