TASTE BENCHMARKS |
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Profile #1 |
Appearance |
Dark in color. |
Aroma |
Lemon, currant jam, strawberry, lavendar, white pepper, mustard and dried orange peel, licorice, leather, roast nuts, coffee. |
Flavor |
Varying in tannin level from massive wines grown at higher altitude to drinkable ones on the valley floor at 1100 feet. However, this style can be depended on for a round, fleshy palate impression, generous flavors of plum jam, blueberry pie and nectarine with toffee, lively spice and oak elements.
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Balance |
May be alcohol driven but with good acidity. |
PRODUCTION CORRELATIONS |
Terroir |
Well-drained, loamy soils with decomposed granite on the Valley floor at 1100 feet. Also some rockier spots at 2500 feet with some igneous influence, resulting in more minerally wines with harder tannins. Hot, rising Palm Desert air to the East daily pulls cooling air from the Pacific 18 miles West through the Rainbow Gap in the coastal mountains.
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