About the Vineyards
The majority of the grapes for the 2012 vintage come from our vineyards in Contra Costa County. Grenache comes from the Massoni vineyard in Oakley, where grape clusters are meticulously thinned to concentrate the flavors in the fruit. Grenache also comes from the Big Break vineyards, where vines are dry-farmed and
produce scant but intense fruit. Mourvèdre
vines are planted in sandy soil and are
dry-farmed, providing luscious flavors of
chocolate and cherry. The addition of Petite
sirah this year has added a deeper color,
more tannin and a nice black pepper note.

About the Fermentation and Aging
The individual lots of grapes were harvested separately according to ripeness and balance of acidity. The grapes underwent total de-stemming and a very gentle crushing
to ensure a large proportion of whole berries in the must. Fermentation was carried out in stainless steel with select cultured yeasts at controlled temperatures. The grapes were pressed at dryness then settled for ten days and racked to 25% new French oak with a dark toast level for six months. 

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