2010 Stratus Red 3L

With an intensely ripe and pungent nose of mature cabernet sauvignon fruit, dark ripe berries, pencil shavings, and cedar the 2010 Stratus exhibits the classical attributes of a fine Bordeaux/Meritage blend. The tannins are very fine and tight with an assertive grip that belies the warmer 2010 vintage pointing to considerable cellaring potential. The wine is all barrel aged for 20 months in a combination of new (15%), second-fill (33%) and older French cooperage.

2010 began with a relatively mild winter and lower than usual precipitation. Bud-break occurred one to two weeks early across the region, allowing for a positive start to what turned out to be a fantastic year. Warmer than average temperatures endured throughout the spring and promoted great growth without being too hot to shut down the vines. Hot conditions prevailed throughout the summer with occasional bursts of high rainfall. Veraison was approximately one week early in some varietals such as Malbec, Gamay, Gewürztraminer and Chardonnay. Diligent leaf removal and fruit-thinning throughout the vineyard, combined with these ideal growing conditions, allowed for highly concentrated, healthy fruit and a slightly earlier harvest.