Production Notes
Varietal Content: 87% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc; Cooperage: 100% French oak château-style barrels (60 gallons); Age of Barrels: 51% New, 49% Second Vintage
Winemaker Notes
A classically nuanced expression of Three Palms Vineyard, this wine combines beautiful layers of red currant, pomegranate, blackberry and Santa Rosa plum with sophisticated hints of star anise, leather, sage and cedar. On the palate, fine talc-like tannins add a velvety elegance, supporting the fruit and carrying the wine to a long, pleasurable finish.
Production
In one of the coolest growing seasons in memory, we benefited greatly in 2011 from our 35 years of experience farming Bordeaux varietals. To counteract uneven vine growth due to unusual spring weather, we did meticulous green thinning. We also gently opened up the canopy to expose the fruit, were judicious in our picking schedule, and sorted meticulously both in the vineyards and winery. The majority of our Merlot came in before the October rains, and due to our quality adjustments the remainder of our fruit fared well until it was harvested. Warm up-valley locations like Oakville, Rutherford, St, Helena and Calistoga were particularly successful, and overall the resulting wines are pure and elegant.