SITES:
Fog Catcher is our flagship blend and is made from our best Bordeaux grapes each year. Heart Hill Vineyard’s rocky hillsides and temperate weather produce dense, rich and complex wines. It’s planted with a diverse blend of Cabernet Sauvignon clones along with smaller amounts of Malbec, Merlot and Petit Verdot that make great blending partners for this wine. We also farm Carménère at Bootjack Ranch where the warmer climate allows this notoriously tough to ripen varietal to flourish.
IN THE VINEYARD:
The 2016 vintage was defined by a drought lifting rainy winter, warm spring and even temperatures throughout the growing season. In other words: as close to perfect a vintage in Paso Robles as you can get. The result was a wonderfully balanced vintage where optimal flavor development and great natural acidity gave us many high quality barrels of wine to select from.
IN THE WINERY:
Fog Catcher is equal parts high quality grapes and dynamic winemaking techniques. This combination creates a dark, rich wine with luxurious texture, precise tannins and an underlying freshness. The foundation of the 2016 Fog Catcher is a co-ferment of our best block of Cabernet Sauvignon with a small amount of Petit Verdot. After harvest, a selection of other noteworthy Bordeaux barrels were marked and tucked away into the cellar to mature. Nearly a year later, our Winemaker revisited each barrel to make his final decision on which barrels qualified for this wine. The composed blend then returned oak barrels for additional aging. The 2016 vintage of Fog Catcher is a harmonious blend of intriguing spice, dark fruits and expansive tannins that linger on your palate for minutes after drinking. This wine is rewarding to drink in its youth, and the high potential it has for aging 10+ years is apparent.
- BLEND:
45% Cabernet Sauvignon
26% Malbec
14% Petit Verdot
15% Carménère
VINEYARD:
83% Heart Hill Vineyard
17% Bootjack Ranch
AGED: 29 months, 90% New French Oak
pH: 3.6
TA: 6.7 g/L
ALCOHOL: 14.6%