VINTAGE

2018

VARIETALS

33.3% Merlot, 33.3% Petite Sirah and 33.3% Cabernet Sauvignon

APPELLATION

California (grapes from Lodi & Dunnigan Hills)

VINEYARDS & TERROIRS

Both the Cabernet and Petite Sirah hail from Cresci Vineyard in the Lodi AVA.  Both varietals were planted in 1987 in medium fine clay and gravel soil with eastern sun exposure and are trellised in the single cordon training system.  Owl boxes situated throughout the vineyard offer a natural method of pest control. The Merlot comes from Yolo Vineyards in the Dunnigan Hills AVA, planted in 1994 on a hillside vineyard with southern sun exposure in gravelly loam soil. The vines are trellised in the single cordon training system, with traditional spacing between plants, and are farmed sustainably.

WINEMAKING

The grapes are crushed, de-stemmed, and undergo separate vinifications by varietal. During fermentation, the wines are punched down manually, three times per day for two weeks. After fermentation, the individual wines are pressed and racked into stainless steel tanks, where they settle for two months. The separate wines are then blended and racked into French oak barrel—30% of which are new and 70% of second- to forth-year barrels—where they age for 16 months.  The Delta Red is bottled unfined and lightly filtered, 18 months after the harvest.

TASTING NOTES & PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

Our signature red hails from our home region of the Sacramento Delta. This rich, full-bodied blend offers generous aromas of blackberry, cherry, eucalyptus and subtle hints of vanilla. An ideal red for barbecues and slow-roasted meats!