The relaxed, high-quality 2012 harvest was a winemaker's dream. The ideal growing season; well-timed rains, no frost during budbreak, and perfect weather for bloom, berry-set and ripening; was textbook Napa Valley. Long stretches of sunny days coupled with foggy nights gave our 2012 wines exceptionally rich, expressive flavors and impeccable balance. We had no weather pressures from either pending rains or excessive heat to rush the harvest. Instead we had the luxury of waiting until the grapes reached absolutely perfect maturity.

We hand sorted the grapes on tables twice: first as clusters to remove any leaves or inferior fruit and then, after destemming, as individual grapes. This gentle process retained about 70 percent whole berries. We fermented 60 percent of the must in new French oak barrels to integrate tannins and enhance the plush texture of the wine. Three to five days of cold soaking and 45 days of total skin contact developed the rich varietal character. During in-barrel malolactic fermentation, we stirred the wine (battonage) to meld flavors and round acidity, and then we clarified the wine with four rackings during barrel aging.