2020
Barrel Aged
Virginia Claret
Winemaker Notes:
An imminently approachable
wine with a beautiful ruby hue and an abundance of Berries. In addition to the many different berries
there are some bright cherry and black cherry notes, along with vanilla cola
and cocoa, that is a nice compliment to the fresh herbal, lemon and black
pepper characters. The Tannins have a
chalky feel with a touch of limestone. The
oak is very well integrated with the fruit and tannins, ultimately providing a wonderful,
clean, fruit forward mouthfeel and finish.
A great wine for pairing with many foods.
Vintage:
This was a tough year on many counts. The winter started mild and was somewhat
uneventful with moderate temperatures. Then
in April and May Virginia was hit with some severe frosts devastating some growers. We then had a very wet start to the summer
which proceeded to dry up with some extreme heat days. The rains then remerged in September making
for difficult conditions with the grapes ripening. The rains did not completely dissipate for the
remainder of harvest and did allow for some nice days to work.
Blend
36% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Cabernet Franc, 9%
Petit Verdot, 6% Malbec, 2% Tannat
Harvest
The Merlot was harvested on 8 October 2020 at 22.0 brix,
3.59 pH and 7.92g/L TA. The Cabernet
Sauvignon was harvested on 21 October 2020 at 20.5 brix, 3.83 pH and 7.03g/L
TA. The Cabernet Franc was harvested on 18 October 2020 at 24.2 brix, 3.83 pH
and 5.64g/L TA. The Petit Verdot was
harvested on 19 October 2020 at 22.5 brix, 3.63 pH and 8.56g/L TA. The malbec was harvested on 15 September 2020
at 19.3 brix, 3.59 pH and 7.31g/L TA.
The Tannat was harvested on 1 October 2020 at 21.7 brix, 3.24 pH and
8.31g/L TA.
Vineyard Source:
Crown Vineyards and Orchards, Covesville, VA
Amrhein Vineyard, Bent Mountain, VA
Benevino Vineyards, Winchester, VA
Mt. Juliet Vineyards, Crozet, VA
Charlottesville Vineyards, Charlottesville, VA
Fermentation
The Merlot fermented
with MT48 Yeats in stainless steel for 9 days, The Cabernet Sauvignon fermented
with Alchemy III yeast in stainless steel for 10 days. The Cabernet Franc fermented with D254 yeast in
stainless steel for 8 days. The Petit
Verdot fermented with D254 Yeast in stainless steel for 9 days. The Malbec fermented with Exotics Yeats in ½ ton
macro bins for 15 days. The Tannat fermented
with D254 yeast in stainless steel for 8 days.
Aging
Aged in 100% French
Oak
Bottling Date
17 March 2022 – 1,700 cases
Release Date
May 2022
Technical
Information
12.3% Alc.
3.64 pH
7.15g/L TA
0.35 RS (dry)
