We created this remarkable wine as a Napa Valley tribute to the legendary dessert wines of Portugal—rich, deep wines that capture an intensity of fruit that has earned them acclaim for centuries.
ABV: 19.7% Production: 2,718 cases
The aroma is full of molasses, milk chocolate, perhaps mint and a hint of star anise. The wine is fully mouth-coating, rich and generous, with ripe fruit flavors and a long, lingering finish. Match this with a wide range of after-dinner treats, from fruitcake and plum pudding to chocolate mousse, salted nuts or a fireplace and a soft rug.
It is not easy to find grapes for this kind of wine, and we traveled the length of California more than once to find what we were looking for. Small lots of fruit, often grown in small corners of vineyards, were selected for their character, their ripeness, and their ability to come together in a single bottle to create a wine that honors the heritage of port while still capturing the California focus on ripe fruit.
This is not a vintage-dated wine, but a blend of grapes that were harvested over the past few years. The younger wines contribute bright fruit and vibrancy, while the older lots add softness and more than a few notes of complexity.
We begin with very ripe grapes. That, above all, is the key. As the fermentation slowly consumes the natural sugar of the grapes, alcohol is added to stop the fermentation, leaving just the right amount of natural sweetness to balance the tannin and fruit in the wine.
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