2008 Eldorado Noir - Russian River Valley - 375ml Bottle [ $28 ]

Vintage Notes

Grown in the Russian River Valley, the Black Muscat grapes ripen slowly in the cool, foggy climate, reaching their full flavor maturity much later than other varieties of grapes. A year of fire and ice, we began 2008 battling heavy frost in April, fires in the summer, and heat in the early fall. Reduced yields but intensely flavored, well-balanced, ripe fruit was the happy result of a very challenging growing season. Harvest began mid-August and was completed shortly after — 2008 being one of the fastest harvests we can remember.

Winemakers Notes

The grapes for this wine are left on the vine longer than other varieties in order to achieve a “late harvest” style, shriveling the ultra-ripe berries to 29 to 30 brix. The grapes undergo carbonic maceration for five to seven days, which helps the wine achieve the unique and rich concentration of flavors. Grapes are then removed from the carbonic tank, crushed and cold
fermented to retain their freshness and fruitiness. The fermented Black Muscat grapes are then pressed and aged in stainless steel barrels. The resulting wine is rich, aromatic, and mouth filling with a lingering finish.