2018 Garden Creek Tesserae, Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Assemblage, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County
Tasting Notes
The 2018 vintage is deeply colored with vibrant aromatics. Notes of ripe blackberries and cassis with subtle notes of sweet tobacco and spice. Black and red fruits coalesce with its intense floral perfume. Lifted with bright notes of hibiscus and blood orange. Silky, unctuous tannins glide across the palate with a velvety mouthfeel. A voluminous, floating texture gives the sensation of fullness and polish. As this vintage opens, well-defined, firm tannins evolve with a full, velvety texture.
Vintage
A mild year overall. The dormant season of winter, however, began with an unusually dry spell. Half of the rain we received did not arrive until a er March 1st. A modest 20 inches in total, below our average. By mid-April, the rains ceased and a healthy season in the vineyard unfolded. Perhaps the biggest challenge to the entire season was the wild grasses in the vineyard, a sign of the healthy soils. Weather in May was cool, giving us moderate growth of the vines. It was a long moderate growing season for exceptional fruit set and density in flavor and texture. As the long days continued of temperate warmth, harvest began the 23rd of October.
Details
Our Other Wines
Garden Creek Chardonnay
Garden Creek Vineyard, Alexander Valley
Estate Clonal Selection
A Chardonnay blend of clones we refer to as our Grand Dame. Each vintage an expression of meticulously selected clones of eleven estate grown in the vineyard. French oak barrel fermentation, eleven-months sur lie aging. Three additional years bottle aging.
WärneliusMiller Pinot Noir
Golden Fleece Vineyard, Anderson Valley
Mendocino
A Pinot Noir showcasing a classic varietal defining the intimate variation of soils in the land influenced by the cool Pacific climate capturing alluring, expressive elegant wines with texture, structure and tension.
