Dessert Wine

The Vineyard:

Our 2008 Dessert Wine "Port" was grown organically in the sierra foothills by one of our favorite Napa Valley farmers, "Patrick Ridder". Patrick approached us late in the season in 2008, by offering up his organically grown traditional Port varieties. We couldn't refuse the offering. He stopped farming this property after this single vintage, so the 75 cases we made will be all that is offered

The Winemaking:

We brought the Touriga, Tinta Cao, and Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo) into the winery and co-fermented them is small tanks. The wines were hand punched down three times a day and fermented until the desired sugar remained. On the day of fortification we added the one year aged brandy spirits. This allowed us to arrest the fermentation and raise the alcohol to the desired level. The grapes were kept in contact with the skins for another two weeks in a traditional port manner. The wine was aged in barrels for 2 years prior to bottling.

Winemaker’s Comments:

Our Port has aromas of blackcherries, strawberries, blackberry, black currants, and leather. There are undertones of vanilla, cigar, and spice from the oak barrels we use to age this wine. The wine is full bodied with a long velvety tannins and a silky smooth palate. It has a very nice subtle sweetness. The finish on the Port is long and packed with jammy fruit and vanilla spiciness.