Winemaker's Notes:

This is from Adam and Kate Firestone’s home vineyard in the rolling hills of the Alamo Pintado corridor, above the village of Ballard. The fruit was harvested in early November at complete ripeness, and we then fermented the whole bluish–black berries for weeks, with gentle pump-overs each morning and evening. The wine aged for two years in 100% new French Bordeaux barrels, and was bottled without any fining or filtration. Aromatics run the gamut of German chocolate cake, Alamo Pintado clay, plum cake, tobacco and fruitcake--which are all perfectly framed and integrated with toasty barrel spice. It becomes a “red fruit wonder” in the mouth--coating it with a ripe Satsuma plum, “catsup”and milk chocolate with cherries. Foxen “Francs” have a good history of aging easily 10-15 years; but they also are wonderful in their youth, as they lack the overt tannin structure that their cousin,Cabernet Sauvignon, carry. Twelve barrels were produced. Drink now-2020.