HARVEST & WINEMAKING
The majority of grapes come from our own 24-acre Rutherford estate where all five Bordeaux varietals—Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Malbec—are grown. The Cabernet Sauvignon was hand-harvested between October 5 – 10 at a Brix between 25.8 and 26.8. The blending varietals were hand harvested between October 2 and 10 at a Brix between 25.8 and 27. After harvesting, the fruit was sorted, berry by berry, before undergoing a 2-3 day cold soak. The fruit was fermented in small batches after being inoculated with an assortment of French yeast strains with gentle pumpovers 2-3 times per day. The wine aged for 21 months in French oak, then was racked twice before bottling in August 2011. The wine rested in our underground cellar until its release October 2012.