2006 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 mild late spring and summer ensured a healthy canopy, which provided the perfect combination of sunlight and heat penetrating the grape clusters. These conditions allowed the grapes to reach full maturity in both flavor and structure. Harvest was completed just before the rains began.

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 Eldorado Noir grapes undergo carbonic maceration for five to seven days, which helps the wine achieve the unique and rich concentration of flavors inherent to this technique. Grapes were removed from the carbonic tank, crushed and cold fermented to retain their freshness and fruitiness. The fermented black Muscat grapes are then pressed at the desired residual sugar level, and aged in stainless steel barrels. The resulting wine is rich, aromatic, and mouth filling with a lingering finish.