About the Vineyard...
A slightly insane idea from an imaginative, if warped, mind became reality in 1999. My dream of working in Burgundy, dashed by winemaking responsibilities in California, led to the idea of bringing the fruit to us. This fruit was grown and harvested by Domaine Arlaud in Morey St. Denis, Burgundy, chilled to 32°F, loaded into a refrigerated cargo container and air freighted to California. It has become a grand experiment in terroir and an incredible learning experience for us. We are thrilled to have had the opportunity. Our thanks go out to all that helped in this challenging endeavor. Location: Morey St. Denis, Les Cogneés Vineyard, Burgundy France. Clone and Viticulture: Mass selection of clones, vineyard varies in age from 25 to 75 year old vines. The vineyard is planted densly to meter by meter spacing, trained in vertical fashion. The vines are not chemically fertilized, using compost instead. In 1999, vines were thinned twice before harvest. Soils: The soils are made up of a reddish clay of approximate 3 feet depth with underlying limestone below. The limestone provides nice drainage this wetter climate.

About the Vintage...
The 1999 vintage was a heralded vintage in Burgundy. The summer was dry and warm with fruit coming to ripeness in late September. Oddly for us, the Burgundy grapes came in before we had picked a single grape in California. It was our good fortune to have chosen such a classic vintage for this endeavor.

About the Wine...
The grapes were 100% destemmed directly to fermenter, innoculated with a Burgundian isolate yeast. Fermented warm, to 95 - 96°F. They were macerated 6 days beyond the completion of fermentation (14 days total contact time on skins). The wine was aged in a new Remond barrel and a used Francois Freres barrel for 12 months.

Tasting Notes...
This elegant wine possesses violets, rose petals, bright red fruits, cherry/huckleberry, wet stone, earth/forest floor nuances and a pronounced mineral character. The wine is tighter than its California siblings, possessing firm acidity that bodes well for medium to long term aging. 45 cases produced.