1998

This vintage blends wine from young vines combined with other lots that didn’t quite make the grade for our top-tier bottlings. The grapes come from some of the same, established vineyards that grow the Cabernet, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc we use in our other releases — Ciel Du Cheval, Kiona, and Klipsun — and the blend is 72 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 15 percent Merlot, and 13 percent Cabernet Franc.

Our regular winemaking regimen remained in play, too: 22 months in French oak barrels before bottling. The result is a wine with a complex range of flavors encompassing black cherry and minerals, vanilla bean, smoke, and sage. We make this elegant wine in more of a medium to full-bodied style, with a lovely texture and sweetness to the fruit.

Paul Golitzin, Director of Winemaking