Description
ALEXANDER VALLEY VINEYARD CYRUS RED
In 1840 Alexander Valley namesake Cyrus Alexander rode into our valley and called it the “brightest and best spot in the world”. He chose this spot to build his home and raise his family, and many years later we would do the same. This wine is our tribute to the man, the region and the very best of the vintage.
In 1995 Hank Wetzel produced the first vintage of CYRUS, today winemaker Kevin Hall carries on the tradition with our 20th release of CYRUS. He has selected nine distinctive lots of estate Bordeaux grapes for this vintage, anchoring the blend with three complex lots of Cabernet Sauvignon.
The 2014 growing season was very similar to 2013. The drought, combined with a mild winter and spring, caused an early bud break. However, the overall length of the growing season was similar to past years. The lack of rain did not impact our fruit due to moderate temperatures throughout the growing season and the grapes ripened evenly. While news of the drought dominated conversations, there was an upside, the grapes had rich, concentrated flavors, much like the 2013 vintage.
After harvest each lot was fermented and aged separately for 12 months, blended to showcase the vintage, then aged for an additional 12 months in French oak barrels to meld the flavors. Additional bottle aging resulted in a seamless blend. The 2014 has dark purple color and layered, earthy aromas of cassis, black cherry, chocolate, and cherry along with hints of toasty oak and vanilla. This is a silky wine with flavors of cassis, dark chocolate, dark fruits, dusty cherry, and a hint of cedar. The 2014 CYRUS boasts smooth texture, excellent balance and a long structured finish. As this wine sits in the glass it just keeps building on itself, hinting at the complexity that will occur with additional cellar aging.
