This charismatic blend of Merlot and Cabernet reveals aromas of dark cherry and crushed rose petals, while gradually imparting flavors of brambly raspberry and malted chocolate, ending with an alluring hint of jalapeño on the rich, full-bodied finish.
The 2022 vintage in Lake County exhibited great fruit quality, with wines exuding vibrant, flavorful fruit characteristics. The growing season started off with cool temperatures and a bit of rain in spring, and throughout the growing season temperatures remained cooler overall – more in line with the “normal” weather patterns of the past. Harvest began a few weeks later than the previous few years, but then moved rapidly due to some hot days in September. However, we picked before the heat spell, and fortunately Lake County grapes deal with heat well, due to their more resilient, high-altitude skins. There were a few cool days around mid-September and a little rain, but fruit flavors had already developed, and many lots were harvested at slightly lower Brix levels. Overall, crop size was larger than usual with the quality of fruit being on par with last year’s outstanding vintage.
Our winemaker Scott Kirkpatrick was so excited about the flavor and depth of our 2022 Big Valley AVA Merlot, he decided it needed to be emphasized. So, he created a 51%/49% wine with our Kelsey Bench AVA Cabernet Sauvignon, similar to a blend you might find from the Right Bank in Bordeaux. Picking began at night and was a combination of hand and machine harvesting, to retain freshness. Scott employed a relatively cool fermentation to boost aromatics and enhance fruit characteristics. We conducted ML with French and Hungarian oak to promote integration, with a specific attention on making a wine that expresses the best qualities of both grape varieties.
Scott Kirkpatrick is our wonderfully talented and soulful winemaker. He has made his way us at Dancing Crow via Michigan, Louisville and the Napa Valley, (after touring across the U.S. as the singer/songwriter Bro. Stephen). Scott has what he describes as a patient, intuitive winemaking style. He isn’t constrained by outside influences into making one style of wine, he embraces the differences between harvests and lets the terroir guide him in making the best wine possible from what that particular vintage has to offer. This blend of 51% Merlot and 49% Cabernet highlights fragrant and dark red fruit aromas of dark cherry and crushed rose petals, while gracefully revealing flavors of malted chocolate milkshake and wild brambly raspberry, ending with just an ever so slight hint of jalapeño on the luscious, full-bodied finish.
