2023, Power Vintage
The dry, cool 2023 growing season produced powerful, concentrated wines. It was an easy vintage in terms of managing the vines and making harvest decisions.
Read MoreClaret is typically fresh, light, and lively; but the 2023 is somewhat atypical. Sunnier and drier than usual, the grapes attained a high degree of ripeness making for concentrated wines. But it was also cool, giving a crunchy freshness to the wines. The aromas are in the black fruit realm with black currants and blackberry jam. There is also a smoky, herbal note. The palate is brooding at first then develops a ying-yang of a tangy acidity playing off a pithy, baker’s chocolate astringency.
Read MoreThe cool, but very dry 2023 vintage contributed to an Avenius Sauvignon Blanc with weight and power. The deep rooted 28-year-old vines flourished through the drought. Aromas are typical of the terroir with nuanced wet rocks and oyster shells. The palate is very rich and full, but the still finish retains the classic Avenius fresh acidity.
Read MoreThe style of the 2023 Hardscrabble Sauvignon Blanc is reflective of an unusual growing season. Dry cool conditions resulted in grapes with very high sugar and acidity. The generous addition of Semillon helped balance the extreme ripeness of the Sauvignon Blanc. This wine is more tropical and lush than is typical of Hardscrabble Sauvignon Blanc.
Read MoreThe weather of the 2023 growing season gave us the first opportunity to make a Late Harvest Petit Manseng since the 2017 vintage. This wine shows the classic Petit Manseng tropical fruit aromas and flavor profiles: pungent pineapple, dried apricot, and guava. Dry growing conditions concentrated both flavors and sugars making this Late Harvest more unctuous than usual.
Read MoreThe cool, but very dry 2023 vintage contributed to an Avenius Sauvignon Blanc with weight and power. The deep rooted 28-year-old vines flourished through the drought. Aromas are typical of the terroir with nuanced wet rocks and oyster shells. The palate is very rich and full, but the still finish retains the classic Avenius fresh acidity.
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