Autumn · Barrel 22 mo.
2019
"Anselm" · Cabernet Sauvignon
Blackcurrant, cedar, a hint of tobacco. Firm tannins, a long finish.
I
Chapter One · Spring
Awakening
of the Vine
In March the valley soil still holds the cold of night, but under the bark the sap is already flowing. The first bud opens quietly — with no witnesses, no haste. We do not rush the vine: pruning is done in advance, the ground is covered with companion grass, and all the estate needs to do is wait.
II
Chapter Two · Summer
Ripening
in the Heat
By July the berries fill with juice, and sugar and acidity carry on their slow argument beneath the skin. We trim back excess leaves so the cluster can breathe the sun without burning — the terroir of the Quiet Vine Valley tempers the heat more gently than an open plain.
III
Chapter Three · Autumn
Harvest
at Dawn
The harvest is picked by hand, only before noon, while the berries are still cool. Each cluster is carried in slatted crates — with no pressure, no haste. By this time the foliage already burns gold: the earth gives the vine the season's last warmth.
IV
Chapter Four · The Barrel
Silence
of the Cellar
Next comes darkness, oak, and time. In the cellar cut into the hillside, the wine breathes through the pores of the barrel for twelve to twenty-four months. We do not rush this chapter either: like the vine, the flavor only reveals itself when it is ready.
