Wine Color: Red

Vintage: 2009

Varietals: 80% Syrah, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon

Appellation: Livermore Valley

Winemaker: Karl D. Wente

Vineyard:

Prime Livermore Valley vineyards were selected for the Nth Degree program because of their consistent production of exceptional fruit.  The vineyards were “ultra-farmed”; every vine receives at least fifteen passes by hand - to pruning, leaf pulling, removing shoots, and thinning clusters, in an effort to ensure that the grape clusters remaining at harvest are of the highest quality.  The grapes were harvested in the early morning into 1/2 ton bins and handpicked, sorted, and crushed into small stainless steel fermenters. The Syrah comes from the Arroyo Seco, Smith and Marina blocks. The Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the Smith block.

Fermentation:

Both varietals were fermented in stainless steel tanks and pumped over twice daily. 

Aging:

The wine was aged for 17 months in French, American, and Eastern European oak.