Composition: 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot
Single-Vineyard: The Mueller Family Vineyard consists of five distinct hillside blocks planted on 1.4 acres at an elevation of 1,000 feet on top of the Napa Valley’s Diamond Mountain District, with slopes of 5 – 30%.
Soils: Hambright Series. The surface layer is gravelly loam, over rocky, cobbled clay-loam subsoil, ideal conditions for the cultivation of red Bordeaux varietals.
Winemaking: Following destemming, the must was cold-soaked 72 hours prior to onset of fermentation. After a maceration of 26 days, free-run wine was then aged 21 months in French oak barrels, 65% of which were new.
Growing Season: Spring was warm and dry, leading to early bud break, even canopy vig
...more... or and smooth flowering and fruit set. With the exception of brief heat spikes in June & July, the season was mild. Cool sunny days at the end of September allowed us to harvest during the first week of October.
Tasting Notes: Color is dark ruby. The wine shows alluring aromas immediately after pouring; it is very fragrant, with focused ultra-ripe black cherry and blackberry fruit. Creamy vanilla and toast are well-integrated and layered with the fruit. In the mouth, the texture is excellent – truly an “iron fist in a velvet glove”. This is a big wine, but it is also seductive, with a harmony between acid, tannin, oak and fruit. There are hints of tobacco leaf and black licorice. The finish is long and lingering, with crème de cassis, ripe raspberry and sweet oak. Enjoy through 2025-2030.
Bottling: August 5, 2016
Volume produced: 150 cases
