Winemaker Notes
Once again, Block 4 of Rector Creek Vineyard has produced a rich and complex wine, with fascinating aromas of dried flowers, spiced fruit, sweet saddle leather, moist earth and roasted coffee beans. On the palate this wine is bold and impeccably balanced, with vibrant acidity, silky tannins and voluptuous flavors of black fruit, lush red berries and spice.
Production
The 2020 growing season began with a relatively dry, mild winter followed by a dry, temperate spring, which resulted in an early April budbreak. The weather throughout spring and summer was even and warm, offering numerous clear, sun-filled days. In September, the weather turned hot, providing the grapes a final push towards optimal ripeness and flavor development. While the overall weather was exceptional for growing grapes, yielding wines with excellent structures and ripe, voluptuous flavors, the impact of the 2020 California wildfires required us to be exacting in our grape selection process, excluding any fruit that did not meet our standards. As a result, while our overall yields were down in 2020, we are extremely proud of the lush, opulent wines that we were able to craft from this vintage.