Palate
Vibrant violet in color with pronounced notes of plum, black cherry, earth, cedar, and smoke. Full-bodied with polished tannins. Juicy acidity lifts the flavors on the long finish.
Growing Conditions
Majority of the grapes come from our estate vineyards on Seneca Lake where the warmer sites give us riper fruit aromas and flavors. These vineyards were planted in 2010 and 2016 (not in production yet) from original cuttings from Dr. Konstantin’s first plantings in the early 1960’s. The Banana Belt is a portion of land on the east side of Seneca Lake that receives the greatest amount of sun coupled with a location that is nearest the deepest parts of Seneca Lake, thereby having a greater impact on temperature. A small portion of the blend contains grapes from Dr. Konstantin’s original plantings from our Keuka Lake vineyard that are near 60 years old.
Winemaking
VINIFICATION
De-stemmed. Several Day Cold Soak.
VESSEL
Open-Top Stainless Steel. Temperature Controlled.
FERMENTATION
Traditional. 3 Times Daily Manual Punchdowns.
Aging
ÉLEVAGE
16 Months 20% New, 80% 2-4 Year Old French Oak.
