2018 Reserve Saint Macaire 750ml

Vineyard: The grapes for Hanna’s 2018 Reserve Saint Macaire were grown on our Red Ranch in Alexander Valley. The property is bisected by Hoot Owl Creek. Below Hoot Owl Creek this benchland ranch is planted on Clough Series gravelly loam soil. Above Hoot Owl it is planted on Laughlin Series sandy loam. These are soils of two-foot depth and less. The vineyard is planted to 50 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, 10 acres of Malbec, two-and-a-half acres of Merlot, two acres of Petit Verdot, and just over a half acre of Saint Macaire. The Cabernet is planted to clones 7, 2, 6, 412 and 685. The Malbec is clone 9, the Merlot is clone 3, the Petit Verdot is clone 400, and the Saint Macaire is a field selection. 

Vintage 2018: Adequate rainfall, no frost pressure and mild spring temperatures was a great start to the vintage. This continued with a temperate summer and early fall. October 1st rain provided some drama, but it dried quickly enough to be a blessing for everything but Chardonnay. Warm sunny days followed the rain, continuing the long even ripening of the Bordeaux varieties. We harvested the grapes for our Alexander Valley Saint Macaire on October 16, 2018, at 25.6o degrees Brix.

Winemaking: We hand-harvested in the cool hours from midnight to sunrise. The grapes were sorted, destemmed and partially crushed to stainless steel fermentation tanks. The must was cold soaked for five days before being warmed and inoculated. Pressing was done “to taste”, based on hourly tastings of the wines during peak fermentation. The newly pressed wines were racked to tank and allowed to settle before barreling. The wine was aged in neutral barrels and a terracotta amphora.

Tasting Notes: Our 2018 Saint Macaire is an opaque aubergine. Given a good swirl, this enigmatic youngster reveals intense aromas of sarsaparilla, fresh ginseng, Kalamata olive, plum and licorice. Given it aromatic leanings it is surprisingly fruit driven by mouth. It opens with a lively burst of pomegranate, which is followed by anise, Bing cherry and chicha morada. Full and concentrated on the palate, its tannins are delightfully more civilized than feral. Decanting Recommended. (Tasted 11/11/20)

Variety: 98% Saint Macaire, 1% Cab Sauv, 1% Malbec

Vineyard Location: HANNA Red Ranch Saint Macaire block 32, Cab block 4, Malbec block 1

Age of Vines: 6-27 years

Alcohol: 14.4%

pH: 3.64

Titratable Acidity (TA): 0.59 g/100 mL

Residual Sugar: 0.08%

Avg. Brix at Harvest: 25.6o

Length/Type of Aging: 19 months in neutral European oak and Italian terracotta amphora.

Bottling Date: September 4, 2020

Number of Cases: 72

Vegan