Lush raspberry flavors blend nicely with velvety, soft touches
of brown spice. Medium-bodied with light tannins. A refreshing
summer wine when served cool, although not chilled. A wonderfully
versatile wine that pairs nicely with a wide range of foods, including
poultry, pork, lamb, and even some beef entrees!
The Vintage
The 2001 vintage had about 18 inches of rain, or 60% of normal,
which ended in early March, a warm spring, and a cooler than average
summer that was punctuated by a few hot spots. Put together, this
created a long, relatively cool growing season that gave the vines
ample time to ripen their fruit in an almost leisurely manner.
Fermentation and Aging
The grapes were picked by hand in multiple lots, destemmed, and
fermented in small lots with hand punch down four times a day.
After pressing, the wine went through malolactic fermentation
and 11 months of barrel aging. 370 cases were bottled in August
2002
The Vineyard
Our five acres of Cabernet Franc vines date back to the original
stock brought to our “Chaine d’Or” region by
French settler and grape expert Pierre C. Pourroy around the turn
of the century. The Pourroy property became Congress Springs
Winery, as it was known until recent changes of ownership.
Our vines were planted in 1985 with cuttings from Congress Springs
on west-facing slopes at the western edge of our property.
