This late harvest is succulent, mouthwatering and breathtaking in its intensity. The aroma is packed with ripe fruit nectarine, peach, mango and apricot. Deep layers reveal scents of cr?me brul?e, poached pears, cardamom and honeycomb. Sweet on the entry, the palate is rich, expansive and superbly balanced, finishing with a hint of orange marmalade.
A tiny two-acre parcel of Sauvignon Musqué at Meredith Estate was the source for this rare bottling. Early in the season, the fruit was severely thinned so the remaining clusters would ripen more rapidly. At 25° Brix, the canes were cut, allowing the clusters to begin their monthlong drying process. The vines were tightly netted to prevent bird damage and each week, any imperfect berries were removed by our diligent crew. This technique is similar to passerillage, the French process by which cut bunches of grapes are allowed to dry in the sun to concentrate their flavor and sugar. For the Italian Vin Santo, grape clusters are cut and dried for many months on wicker trays in a warm attic. In our version, the clusters were dried in place until they were harvested at 35.3° Brix on Nov. 7, 2012. The wine was barrel fermented and aged in French oak, 60% new, until its bottling in April 2014.