Pale pink in color, the 2014 Banshee Rosé of Pinot Noir is blessed with a bouquet of fresh flowers and just picked strawberries. In the mouth, there is a pleasant juiciness and succulent fruit character of peaches, red berries, and starfruit. The finish is zipped up with a bolt of refreshing acidity.
For the 2012 vintage of Mordecai, we once again centered ourselves on a roughly 50/50 base of Bordeaux and Rhone varietals highlighted by some excellent Cabernet Sauvignon from near Calistoga and cool climate mountain Syrah from Broken Leg Vineyard in Anderson Valley. These key parcels were supplemented with Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Grenache. While our base blend was probably already up to par already on its own, the signature of Mordecai has been the other varieties we blend to give it a certain flair. This is where the fun starts. We have fallen in love with a Carignan vineyard in Mendocino which will be an ongoing component in future Mordecais. We also went back to a Sierra Foothills source for Barbara that was in the 2011 version. The headline grabber of this year's spice rack will probably the Touriga Nacional from Rockpile. This traditionally Portuguese variety possessed an amazing white flower nose that belied its red/black color. See if you can pick out that note. The resulting wine is a unique beast. While many red blends try to bowl you over with full throttle richness and power, Mordecai wants to excite and charm you as well. It possesses a blend of both red and black fruit characteristics, bramble and spice on a medium plus frame. The warmth of the vintage makes this one juicier than the last, but the structure is still beautifully integrated. It will drink well for a decade.
Melon and prosciutto keep popping into mind while thinking about this Sauvignon Blanc, although we’re certain it would pair well with a variety of fresh summer foods, fish, pork, and chicken. Just looking for a quick patio sip? Fear not - this wine is equally pleasurable all on its own.
The resulting wine is round and focused in style. Brioche, citrus, and sweet vanilla and are some of the nuances that jump out of the glass. In the mouth its medium weight texture shows off apple, baked pear and lemon pudding. Wild flowers, almonds and wet stone are layered into the finish.
Vintage: 2012 After two cool vintages in 2010 and 2011, we were blessed with a more classic Napa style vintage in 2012. The weather was generally quite warm without being exceedingly hot, allowing for optimal ripeness levels and fine structural material. A very long growing season also lent an even and fuller maturation of flavors.. The final blend is: 87% Cabernet Sauvignon {Calistoga, Coombesville, Howell Mountain} 6% Merlot {Oakville} 3% Petit Verdot {Oakville} 3% Malbec {Oakville} 1% Cabernet Franc {Howell Mountain} Primary fermentation over a period of 15 days and then pressed at dryness and put in to barrel where malolactic fermentation occurred naturally. 19 months aging in French oak (Siruge, Demptos, Taransaud) of which 65% was new. Tasting Notes The resulting wine is like a bridge between the styles of yesterday's Napa Valley and today. It jumps out of the glass with aromas of black fruit, incense and plums. The flavors are well delineated and comprised of dark cherry, plums, mineral and touch of cocoa. There is also a streak of red berry through the mid-palate on a fine structured spine
Handpicked and destemmed, the fruit was fermented in small, stainless steel fermenters at cool temperatures for an average of 21 days. Aging for 16 months in 35% new French oak - Cavin, Tremeaux, Dargaud, François Frères & Jaegle barrels.