Winemaker Notes:
The 2015 is a wonderful expression of petit verdot
showcasing blackberry, blueberry, strawberry, etc, basically a cornucopia of
berries mixed in with some elegant dark aged fruits. In addition to the bowl of fruits is a
pleasant floral bouquet with a touch of menthol/eucalyptus and cocoa. Just behind these nuances is a soft forest
floor character that adds a nice dimension to the wine. The palette reflects the many fruits and
earth tones well. The oak and tannins
have a nice grip but are well balanced and lend themselves to the long finish
of the wine allowing the fruit to shine through. This is a strong contender for the best
Wessex Hundred Petit Verdot to date.
Vintage:
The 2015 vintage had some scary moments but ultimately we
came through unscathed. Some low temps
in early Spring had us all concerned about frost. Additionally we also saw some heavy rains in
the early spring keeping the viticulture team on their toes. The summer came on with little rain and
average temperatures for the state. The
rain then came back with a vengeance in late September to early October. Overall though the growing season was long
and did allow for good ripening.
Determining the best day to pick was the key to success. I think we will see some good wines from Virginia
vineyards for 2015
Blend
84% Petit Verdot, 16% Merlot
Harvest
The petit verdot was picked on 9/8/15 at 24.9 brix, 0.626g/L
TA and 3.47 pH. The merlot was picked on 9/9/2015 at 23.4 Brix, 0.4.75g/L TA
and 3.72 pH.
Vineyard Source:
Wessex
Hundred, Williamsburg, VA -
100%
Fermentation
The petit verdot was cold soaked for 3 days and then
fermented in stainless steel for 5 days with D254 Yeast. The Merlot was cold soaked for 10 days and
then fermented in stainless steel for 8 days with Cepage Merlot yeast. Both were racked twice before going into
final barrel.
Aging
The wine was aged is 10.5% new French oak, 10.5% new
American oak, 21% 1 year French oak, 5.5% 1 year American oak, 5% 2 year French
oak, 10.5% 2 year American oak, 10.5% 4 year French oak, 16% 4 year American
oak and 10.5% 4 year Hungarian oak
Bottling Date
24 January 2016 – 470 cases
Release Date
February 2016
Technical
Information
13.2% Alc.
3.83 pH
0.614 g/L TA
0.30 RS (Dry)
