2011 Cliff Lede Poetry Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District, 3L in Wood Box

In the cool darkness of night, grapes were hand-picked under lights 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 and wooden cuves by our unique crane system which kept a high percentage of whole berries intact. Cold soaks lasted from five to eight days, and fermentations were managed through a combination of pumpovers and délestage. Extended maceration of up to six weeks ensured exceptional extraction and fine-tuning of tannin profiles. Following eighteen months of élevage in new French oak, the blend was selected from our best lots of the Poetry Vineyard.