Late Harvest

Where to start?  Let us go back 4 years to 2014.  A hot summer.  A Cabernet vineyard.  A supervisor who turned off the irrigation to block 5 (he’s dead….) (no! he’s not! joke!).  Rows of fruit that dehydrated and turned into soft raisins…...... What to do?  If given lemons, lemonade?

 

We fermented the grapes and initiated barrel aging.  In the first year, the dried fruits, both raisins and dried figs were too dominant.  So we left it in barrel.  The second year, improvement.  But not enough to bottle.  Or even to define the wine…. What to do?  Nothing….. it stays in barrel.  Third year, in barrel. Tasting every month and improving.  Balancing out.  Defining a late harvest character (those raisin and dried figs notes) balanced with higher alcohol (16.6%), savory notes, length in the palate. 

 

And it started to show what I call a specialization.  All our other wines are versatile, multipurpose.  Cocktail or lunch or dinner.  For time alone with a sunset or for sharing with friends.  Late Harvest is a name that brings to mind sweet wines.  This is not it.  Late Harvest is a name that brings to mind dessert wines.  This is not it either.  Late Harvest is a one-trick dog.  It is a great wine for after-dinner cheese!  It is the most fantastic wine for after-dinner cigars!  It is such a problem matching wine with cigars that I normally go for Armagnac.  Not in this case!  

 

We bottled Late Harvest in a 500 ml bottle to make its unique character more clear and evident.  Recommended for those who had the patience to read this tasting note and are now intrigued about the unique talents of Late Harvest.

45 cases produced.