Vineyards: The Vintage Select combines lots from all of our vineyards to give the truest expression of the character of each vintage in Sonoma County. The Cabernet for the 2018 edition of this wine was sourced from the Ellis Alden Vineyard in Alexander Valley (70%) and our Estate Vineyard (30%) in Dry Creek Valley.

Vintage: On the heels of a stressful 2017, growers and winemakers were thankful for a return to an uneventful but fruitful vintage in 2018. A cool spring started off the ideal growing season with a near-perfect fruit set in the spring, and summer temperatures were moderate with fewer heat spikes than the previous years. As a result, harvest started two to three weeks later than during the recent extended drought, but along a more historically typical timeline. The long hang times and even ripening yielded wines that show concentrated flavor and structure without being over-ripe.

Winemaking: The grapes were de-stemmed into small open-top tanks for a long cold soak to encourage development of color before fermentation began spontaneously with wild yeast. Fermentation continued without the addition of any chemicals or enzymes, aided only by the heat of the sun and gravity-fed "pump-overs" once per day. After pressing the wine went into French oak barrels – 40% of which were new – aged for 24 months, and was racked only once, immediately prior to bottling.

Tasting Notes: Warmed plum sauce and melted red licorice notes meld together easily, with a singed vanilla note draped over the top. Offers an open, generous feel through the finish.