2005 Red Wine, Mark's Blend

“Mark’s Blend“ is a very special wine that evolved from an experiment Mark found time to tinker with just before the harvest of 2006. It is a wonderful combination of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Petite Sirah grown in our Estate vineyards, along with Sangiovese that our friend, Joel, grows in his spectacular vineyard up the road from us. Blending is the highest form of the winemaker’s art, requiring patience and an innate understanding of flavor components and how they enhance (and sometimes detract from) each other. This particular wine absolutely called out to be bottled. The flavors from each varietal are distinct and delicious, forming a complex wine that proves the theory that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Rich fruit flavors dance across the palate and the finish is nothing short of stunning.

Méthode: The grapes were field crushed and each grape variety was allowed to spontaneously ferment in separate ¾-ton lots that were punched down by hand four to five times a day for 15 to 20 days. The juice was pressed into 30% new French oak and aged for 12 months. The varietals were then blended and aged in barrel another six months before bottling. The wine was then aged in bottle an additional 12 months before its release.