WINEMAKER’S NOTES: We take the whole clusters and transfer them from bin into our 2 large concrete tanks. The berries remain intact and protected with a constant blanket of C02 until their native yeasts begin to ferment the grape sugars from the inside out. A slow mortification breaks down the color components in the skins, infusing the juice inside the still-unbroken berries with a vibrant red hue. When fully dry, it is pressed back into the concrete vessels for aging. Bottled after 6 months of aging. This wine shows the amazing depth of flavor from these rugged, ancient vines.
VITICULTURAL AREA: Having saved a remarkable ancient vineyard from imminent “Cabernetification”, we continue to nurture its 130+ year-old vines, capturing a character unfound in mere 120-year-old vineyards. An original field-planted block, these Carignan plants are interspersed with Palomino (white variety from Jerez), Zinfandel and Alicante (a rare black-fruited vine that produces some of the darkest juice on the planet). Its decomposed sandy soils make it impossible for the vine-pest phylloxera to survive, leaving these some of the last remaining self-rooted vines in the state.
VARIETALS: 85% Carignan, 10% Alicante, 4% Zinfandel, 1% Palomino
VINEYARD: Oat Valley Vineyard
LOCATION: Alexander Valley
ALCOHOL: 12.5%
