Production Notes
Varietal Composition: 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 1% Malbec; All lots are kept separate for the first 18 months and aged in 100% new French Oak. After 18 months, we create the blend through meticulous selection of our best estate lots which are then blended back into neutral barrels for the last 6 months of aging. This unique process creates a harmonious, fully integrated blend with plush, velvety tannins.
Winemaker Notes
Crafted from our finest blocks and barrels of Estate fruit, the 2020 vintage of The Discussion is rich, graceful, and profoundly complex. As it evolves in the glass, luxurious aromas of pomegranate, black mission fig, red currant, and rose petals emerge. On the plush palate, elegantly structured tannins add depth to the robust berry flavors, with layers of chocolate-covered blueberry and toasted hazelnut lingering throughout the long, majestic finish.
Production
In terms of overall weather, most of the 2020 growing season was excellent. Following a relatively dry winter, budbreak started early, and the temperatures throughout spring and summer were mild and temperate. This allowed the grapes to ripen slowly, developing pure, vibrant flavors and supple, fleshy textures. In late September, harvest was impacted by the outbreak of wildfires and the arrival of hot weather. The elevated temperatures gave many vineyards a final push to ripeness as we worked to bring in the grapes. During this period, we did extensive testing to ensure quality, excluding any fruit that did not meet our standards. While our meticulous selection process resulted in a smaller 2020 crop, the wines we produced live up to the Duckhorn name, displaying beautiful aromas, soft elegant textures, lively complexity and lush flavors.