Vintage
1997 was unusual in many ways. The growing season began early with
good weather for the critical points of bud break and bloom. Early
on, we could see that crop levels were significantly higher than
normal. The weather remained warm through the summer, pushing the
large crop ahead of schedule. We began harvesting in Sonoma County
on August 14th, the earliest ever, and finished on October 6th,
nearly a month earlier than "normal". With this long growing
season and warm weather we were able to harvest fruit that was both
ripe and fully mature.
Vinification
This Barbera comes from a hillside of 20-30 year old vines on the
Wildwood Ranch in the Sonoma Valley. The wine was fermented in small
open top bins for 5 to 7 days and punched down by hand daily. Aging
was done in older French oak barrels for 17 months to soften the
wine and preserve the bright fruit character.
Tasting Notes
Black cherry and dark berry dominate in the nose with intense berry
fruit on the palate finishing long and spicy! Try this wine with
heavier Italian dishes or have a glass by itself!
