Vineyard
At 2300 ft., Ash Creek is the highest-elevation vineyard in Sonoma County. The name Ash Creek is derived from the vineyard’s thin, volcanic, ash-like soil. The combination of its high altitude climate—cooler days, warmer nights, shorter growing season—and stingy soils make for low yields of intensely concentrated fruit.

Vintage
In 1998, the growing season began with a cold wet winter followed by a long, cool summer a that finally warmed up in Sept3ember and October giving us a very small, intensely concentrated crop—the result of the extra hang time on the vine. We picked the grapes for this wine on October 27th.

Vinification
Grapes from the Tin Cross block were fermented in open top fermenters for 12 days and the placed in French oak for 20 months and bottle aged for an additional 12 months. The wine was bottled in August 2000. Alcohol 14%, T.A. .76, pH 3.79, residual sugar .08.

Tasting Notes
Full intense aromas of black currant, plum and spicy vanilla portend rich full flavors of ripe black cherry, cassis with signature herbal cedar and mint notes. The finish is long and noted for its fine-grained tannins.

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