ERA Napa Valley 9L 2017
About This Wine
On the nose: Explosion of fruit, cassis, peaches, cherries, with raspberry jam, violets, lavender, vanilla beans, cotton candy
On the palate: Soft entrance evolving on a lush but full-bodied mid palate, lingering on dense but granular tannins with a touch of tulip, plum, cassis, elderberry, cherry liquor finishing with iris, pomegranate
Wine Profile
Blend: 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Malbec
Fermentation: 100% barrel fermented
Aging: 22 months in French oak, 80% new, 20% 1-year-old barrels
Vineyard Notes:
ERA is a blend of predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from award winning and historic vineyards throughout the Napa Valley. These vineyards offer distinct qualities and when blended create a beautifully balanced and elegant wine. Each of these vineyards is farmed to yield no more than two tons of fruit per acre with one cluster per shoot resulting in a more intense, flavorful berry. ERA is handcrafted, barrel fermented and is not fined.
Vintage Notes:
2017 started out with record precipitation providing vines with sufficient water tables to safely get them through several heat spikes that began as early as June. Temperatures up to 110 degrees in early September prompted several winemakers to begin harvesting red varietals. Our winemaking team held steadfast and patiently waited until end of September before bringing in the first red varietals. Rewarded then with more moderate temperatures, the resulting wines express themselves as both full-bodied and greatly structured.