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*NEW RELEASE*
Vineyards
Planted in 1998, the Biagini Vineyard is located within the Santa Cruz Mountains appellation. It is part of a grouping of small vineyards tucked away in the Pleasant Valley, overlooking the small town of Corralitas. Located specifically in Hames Hollow, about 500 feet in elevation, the Biagini Vineyard experiences a long, cool growing season due to coastal cooling influences direct from the Monterey Bay. Owned by San Jose resident Ted Biagini, the vineyard is approximately 11 planted acres, yielding 2.5-3 tons per acre on average. There are four clones planted in the Biagini Vineyard, including 113, 114, 115 and Mt. Eden.
Winemaking
After an early morning harvest, the grapes were hand-picked and immediately brought to the winery where they were whole-cluster pressed. The free-run juice was cold settled for 24 hours, then racked to barrels where both primary and malolactic fermentation took place. The lees were stirred twice a week for 12 weeks, then once a month thereafter. The wine aged for 13 months in 40% new French oak barrels. It was racked once prior to bottling. There was no fining or filtering, resulting in a naturally produced, hand-crafted wine that may throw a sediment.
Tasting Notes
Slightly cloudy due to the unfiltered and unfined style of this wine. On the nose, I get butterscotch, butter with toast and fresh applesauce and pear. A rich mouthfeel that confirms the nose—caramel apples, and creamy butter. Toasty oak. High acids are well balanced with the rich oak component of this wine, making it a nice pairing with many foods, including lobster with butter and Chicken Alfredo.
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