Rowland Wines
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The Naked Truth! The intriguing array of blackberry fruits, fresh spices and deep color of this wine can be attributed to the naked-looking fruit that you would have observed at harvest. Naked-looking because the leaves above, opposite and below the cluster have been removed. When looking down the vine row, this presented the magnificent sight of a solid line of black, ripe grapes. Additional exposure creates more complex fruit, mature tannins and elevates fruit character...but the timing is crucial when removing 100% of the leaves around the grapes. If the leaves are dropped to late, we will get sun burnt fruit. If the leaves are dropped early, the fruit has a chance to condition itself and become "tanned", so to speak. By the time summer arrives, the skin won't burn as readily. Just like people with fair skin-if they go to the beach without conditioning their skin earlier in the season, they risk sunburn. Those who are well-tanned from exposing their skin to less intense sun rays early in the season do not burn as easily when summer arrives. I continue
this sunny analogy on to the beach with the well-tanned muscular
"hunk" all the girls crowd around, the exception is
that everyone can appreciate and crowd around this deep colored,
full bodied, mountainside Cabernet. |
2000 |
Yield: |
3 tons per acre |
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Vineyard Data: |
Vertical trellis with leafing around clusters for extra color and flavor |
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Yeast: |
35% wild yeast, 65% cultivated Bordeaux yeast |
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Time on Skins: |
27 days |
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Fermentation: |
60 hour cold soak, 100% whole berry co-fermentation of varieties |
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Cooperage: |
50% new oak, 50% 1-2 year old blend of French and American oak |
| Cabernet Sauv. 78%, Cabernet Franc 22% | |
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Clarification: |
Lightly fined |
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Vineyard Sites: |
Coombsville 80%, Oak Knoll 15% , Atlas Peak 5% |
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Case Production:
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750 |
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Release Date:
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January 1, 2003 |
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Winemakers Notes: |
A deep colored, robust wine with a bouquet of tobacco leaf and black cherries, and flavors of cassias and spice. |
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