Technical info
Alcohol
14.8%
Varietal
Merlot
Winemaking
The merlot was harvested from the Big Ranch vineyard in the Oak Knoll AVA in early September. The fruit was picked around 24°Bx when the ripe fruit flavors were most present but before the acids began to drop, maintaining a natural, juicy acidity. Fermentation was in steel at moderate temperature to retain the fruit character before barreling down in 100% French oak, 38% new, all integrated together in an 18-month aging period
Vintage
The 2020 vintage was a combination of a warm, dry winter, late March rains, and incidental circumstance beyond the typical season. The mild spring weather provided a great early start which was later tempered by the warmth of the summer growing season and the frequent heat spikes. 2020 with its low rainfall, low yields and dynamic weather had set the stage for fruit with pronounced micro-climatic and aromatic complexity. While vineyard and winery working conditions were adapted at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic with extensive safety protocols, further challenges were manifested by wildfires across California that would prove an even greater challenge to the latter half of the vintage. All estate fruit was continuously evaluated and only those sites unaffected were harvested. The limited supply of the resulting wines shows all the phenolic ripeness, acidic tension and exceptional nuance of this challenging vintage
