The 2002 growing season was a year that was almost perfect. No heavy rains or searing heat, just a nice slow ripening type of weather that we look for every year. We closely monitored the ripening and hand picked the river block vines on October 3rd followed by the old vines two days later. The grapes were gently crushed into a small open top fermentor where we cold soaked the fruit for 48 hours and then inoculated the must. Pumping over the tanks twice a day insured total color and flavor extraction from the fruit. This wine was hand pressed with an oak basket press into a settling tank. The following day the wine was racked into French oak barrels, 30% of which was new oak.

After 28 months of aging the wine was bottled at the winery and is now ready for release. Boysenberry, dark chocolate and a spicy mint like finish best describe the wine at this time. Enjoy now or cellar up to ten or twelve years.

Our wines reward patience...