Product Description:

"This wine draws you in with alluring aromas of red cherry, violets and geranium blossom emanating from the glass. On the palate, the wine is layered with rich flavors of cranberry, huckleberry and rhubarb, with a touch of warm forest floor adding intrigue. The tannins are velvety, and the finish lingers on and on with notes of currant jelly and spice. This wine is inviting and pretty in the gentlest of ways. Like a sincere friend that will always be there for you, she is truly genuine and so very generous. The cool-climate vineyard site combined with gentle handling at every stage is central to the core expression of this wine, my goal here is aromatic retention and soft texture. These heritage Martini clone vines were planted at Hawkeye Ranch in the 1970s by the Johnsons, the clone selected by the legendary Louis Martini himself, and now quite rare as most of the older vines have been replanted. This clone thrives here, and the crop load and vine vigor are naturally balanced, allowing for an organic farming style that promotes slow, steady fruit maturation. This gives rise to wonderfully delicate, yet highly textured, full-bodied wine. The fruit was de-stemmed and the whole berries transferred to open-top fermentation tanks to cold soak for seven days prior to native fermentation, which allows for delicate extraction and adds complexity. Gentle extraction was ensured by performing punchdowns to mix the must, and maintaining moderate temperatures throughout fermentation. After fermentation, the wine was pressed and sent to barrel, where native malolactic fermentation was encouraged (by stirring and keeping them cozy). The wine aged in ~20% new French oak barrels, with the balance in neutral French oak barrels. To enhance palate weight and mouthfeel, the wine was left in contact with light lees and gently stirred. The wine was aged for 12 months in barrel and then receives an additional 12 months of bottle age before initial release." -Importer