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The Wine
This wine is made from unblended, 100% estate-grown, cellared,
and bottled grapes. The color is a deep garnet. The nose evokes
notes of plums, currants, dark cherries, and a hint of richly
tanned leather. In the mouth, cassis, blackberries, cherries,
a touch of cedar on the finish, and easy tannins – lovely
to enjoy even now. The finish has a lilting softness that lingers
long.
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 21 months of barrel aging.
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The Vintage
The season was wetter than normal by 23%, with 36 inches for
the season: 24" in November in December, with less than
4" in January and February, led into an early spring and
budbreak. A cold and wet April, however, delayed budbreak and
fruitset, but the weather turned hot in September and we began
harvest in mid-September. |
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The Vineyard
Valley View is a 3-acre on the eastern slopes of the Santa
Cruz Mountains. Planted in 1989, the soils of this south-facing
vineyard change from gravel to shallow clay as the steep, terraced
vineyard descends from 1,060 to 960 feet. |
