2014 Port, Sonoma County • St. Francis Winery & Vineyards

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2014

Port

Tasting Notes

This elegant Port shows off rich aromas of toasted nuts, licorice, and preserved cherries followed by layered flavors of fig, toffee, plum compote, cocoa nib, and a touch of vanilla. Silky smooth with a velvety texture and luscious finish, this Port would be an elegant treat as an after-dinner wine, for dessert on its own or paired with cheese, nuts, and chocolate.

Vintage Notes

Warm sunny days throughout the spring and summer months set the stage for a spectacular harvest in September 2014. The lack of rain meant that harvest began a little earlier than normal and was short in length, finishing up by the end of October. The temperate days leading up to harvest produced good yields of high-quality fruit with concentrated flavors, complex aromatics, and excellent structure.

Vineyard Notes

A combination of deeply flavored red varietals provides the backbone of this old-world-styled Port. Our Certified Sustainable Estate Wild Oak Vineyard in the heart of Sonoma Valley provided the Merlot, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon fruit. We also included Zinfandel from a historic Sonoma Valley vineyard, the Monticello Vineyard.

Winemaker Notes

We push the hang-time on grapes destined for our Port and harvest the grapes at 27 – 28 Brix to assure full-flavor and sweetness. After picking, all of the varietals are placed in one tank in our Artisan winery. We inoculate with yeast immediately and let the fermentation begin. During this time our crew stays on-call 24 hours a day, checking the sugar level every hour until it hits the designated target. When it reaches the right level, we add 120 proof Brandy, distilled from our own wine, to halt fermentation. The Port is then immediately put into neutral French Oak barrels for aging 20 months before bottling.