Windmill Hill Cuvée, 2006	$30/bottle
	$324/case

There are classic and great pairings and partners in food and wine. When the sum is greater than the parts, magic happens. When those “parts” are grown in a place that extracts the excellence from each, the result is simply sublime. So it is with Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon grown on a steep hillside at Great Oaks Ranch. With a working windmill perched atop the hill, these two varietals are not only blended together, but grown together.

The far eastern edge of the Santa Ynez Valley provides a picture-perfect spot for these complementary Bordeaux varietals, and the rocky soils not only provide great drainage but a typicity of varietal and place. 2006 was a year of semi-drought conditions, a mild Spring and a nice, warm Summer. Clusters and berries tended to be smaller than usual due to the arid season, resulting in a wine of intensely concentrated flavors, but with much smaller yields than the previous vintage.

Time from grape to release is long, by design. The grapes were harvested by hand and fermented separately in small open top tanks, with frequent “punch downs” each day to fully extract the flavors, tannins and colors from the skins. Spontaneous fermentation started with native yeasts, and once completed, winemaker Andrew Murray moved the young wines to a combination of new and 1-2 year old French oak barrels, where they underwent malolactic fermentation and then aged for 12+ months. The following year, the wines were tasted and the Windmill Hill Cuvée blend was determined. The wine was then returned to barrel to marry flavors and textures and aged for an additional year before being bottled without fining or filtration. Vintner Nancy Lippman chose to keep the bottled wine under perfect cellar conditions for an additional year of bottle aging so as to present the wine when ready to enjoy, with all flavors, layers, acids, textures and tannins in perfect alignment.

The intensity of the small 2006 crop yield is first demonstrated with the deep garnet color in the glass, ringed with ruby edges. Serious and sultry aromas of black fruit, violets and cassis beg a first sip. A velvety texture brings a cornucopia of complex flavors – black cherry, herb d’provence, black olive tapenade, cedar, black raspberry and loose, fresh tobacco. The finish is stylish and lasting, complete with more black fruit nuances, mocha and graceful dusty tannins.

Click here for full Winemaking and Tasting notes.