90% Cabernet Franc 10%Cabernet Sauvignon
 
Ascona Vineyard is one of the premiere vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains. A perfect place for Cabernet Franc. It can get warm but it can also cool off better than many vineyards in the region. Its a higher elevation site with cool air coming from the coast. A great place to make an "old world" style Cabernet Franc in the "new world."
I must also acknowledge the tremendous love and care Ken Swegles and crew of Rhizos Viticulture put into this site, with thoughtful organic and regenerative practices.
On the day of harvest, the vines were dripping with coastal fog. Seeming like a great respite from the week long 100+ degree days, some weeks before. As folks scrambled to get their grapes harvested during the heat spell, the Cab Franc vines held on and took their sweet time ripening. This allowed them to soak in the cool fall like weather that followed. 
 
100% Whole cluster. 90% of the grapes were uncrushed for 2 days. 2x daily pump overs for 10 days before crushing the grapes by foot. Wine fermented for a total of 24 days. The gapes came in cool and fermentation stayed quite cool. 
No yeast added. 15ppm sulfites added during barrel aging. Unfined and unflitered.
13% ABV., 3.5pH
 
Tasting Notes
Nose: Bright cherry cola, and a deeper dr.pepper(ish) kind of smell. With earthy herbal/olive and compost aromas.
Palate: Fresh and round fruit with dense tannins. A play between juicy fruit and firm backbone. Cherry cola like fruit with earthiess.