Wines - 2022 Wild Fantasy Rock Block Series – Stags Leap District

Our estate vineyard blocks are named after Cliff’s favorite rock songs and albums. The name of this blend is derived from “Born to be Wild” from Steppenwolf and “Dear Mr. Fantasy” from Traffic. We utilize both the gravelly, alluvial soils of our Rhythm Vineyard and the steep, rocky volcanic slopes of the Poetry Vineyard to create this unique blend.

In the cool darkness of night, grapes were hand-picked into twenty-five-pound bins to minimize crushing. By early morning, the grapes were subjected to rigorous selection by our three-tiered sorting process which includes our cutting-edge optical sorter, and a slow, individual berry hand sort. The fruit was gently gravity-delivered to small tanks by our unique crane system which kept the berries intact. Cold soaks lasted from five to eight days, and fermentations were managed through a combination of pump overs and délestage. Extended maceration of up to six weeks ensured exceptional extraction and fine-tuning of tannin profiles. This wine underwent twenty-one months of élevage in French oak barrels, 86% of which were new.

The inky 2022 Wild Fantasy features a glass-coating, saturated opaque purple color. The wine offers a sexy bouquet of pain grille, Asian spices, pencil lead, mineral, lavender, blueberry, and black cherry. On the palate, there is layer upon layer of savory fruit, spice notes, espresso, and chocolate as well as exquisite balance. Finely grained polished tannins race along the finish and grace the velvety supple crescendo. – Christopher Tynan, Director of Winemaking