Winemaker’s Notes:
The wine is quite concentrated with black cherry and currant fruit notes. There is also a nice spiciness with a little white pepper, anise and even some spearmint. The tannins are big and well integrated which will give this wine excellent holding power over the next 15 to 20 years.

Growing Season:
The 2006 growing season started as a stormy year with record-breaking rainfall in January, followed by steady showers throughout the spring. The cool, wet weather delayed budbreak in most areas by about two weeks. Late spring and early summer were very mild, and most varieties seemed to flower at the same time. Temperatures soared into the 100’s for most of California’s grape-growing regions in late July, forcing some vines to shut down and stop photosynthesis for several days. Consequently, the heat wave served to further delay an already lagging maturity pattern for most grape varieties. Luckily, most varieties had yet to go through veraison, so the skins were still thick and resilient to the extreme heat. August and September settled into the most amazingly pleasant weather in recent memory, allowing the grapes to ripen slowly and evenly with an excellent sugar/acid balance.

Winemaking:
This wine was aged in 52% American oak and 48% French oak barrels (100% New French oak).

Winemaker’s Notes:
This wine has the golden hue and finesse of white Burgundy from Meursault, replete with a silky, creamy nose and supple, smooth mouth feel. Fresh, muttled peach and honeysuckle blossoms highlight the bouquet, followed by flavors or baked apple and Asian pear. Lush and dense on the palate, yet with a backbone of firm acidity and a lovely, extra long finish of caramel and créme brulee. One of our most elegant wines, this will pair perfectly with a salad nicoise or broiled lobster with garlic and butter.