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© CYCLES GLADIATOR WINES 2021

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Pinot Noir

varietal: 100% Pinot Noir

appellation: California (34% Edna Valley, 24% Napa Valley, 20% Santa Barbara County, 12% Monterey County, 10% Anderson Valley)

vintage: 2018

alcohol: 13.5%

ta:6.5 g/L

ph:3.40

Oak Regimen: 14 months in 20% new French wood. Balance in neutral oak.

Vintage Notes: 2018 provided ideal growing conditions for this early ripening varietal. It was a moderate summer throughout California allowing for balanced sugars and acidity.

Winemaker Notes: “It slipped down my throat like the little Lord Jesus dressed in velvet pantaloons” is a 400 year-old quote attributed to the Carmelite nuns of Burgundy when they described the sensation of drinking wine from their Burgundian vineyards. This may or may not be legend, but I’ve paraphrased this quote for years to describe my feelings when I drink wine from this grape.

Tasting Notes: Beautiful aromatics of cherry with a hint of sexy toasted oak. The flavors are lush and sweet with notes of black cherry, pomegranate, and strawberry.

Petite Sirah

varietal: 83% Petite Sirah, 15% Malbec, 2% Cabernet Franc

appellation: California (82% Lodi, 17% Lake County, 1% Napa Valley)

vintage: 2019

alcohol: 15%

ta:5.2g/l

ph:3.88

Oak Regimen: 14 months in 30% one-year-old American barrels

Winemaker Notes: Grapes were picked in the second half of October 2019. Color and tannin structure were near perfect. We made sure the fermenting grapes were not over-extracted by early pressing. Adam chose older oak because the flavors were so complimentary, and felt they should be highlighted.

Tasting Notes: Inky purple color all the way through. Aromas of boysenberry pie filling with notes of cinnamon and cedar. Ripe flavors of dark fruit at the front of the palate followed with notes of black cherry and blueberry jam. Fairly structured with a delicate acid thread and lush, melting tannins. Great mouthful of wine that has a pretty serious finish.

Merlot

varietal: 90% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot

appellation: California (90% Paso Robles, 10% Lodi)

vintage: 2019

alcohol: 15.0%

ta:0.57 g/100ml

ph:3.72

Oak Regimen: 32% once used French and American barrels, balance neutral oak

Vintage Notes: Frost during budbreak and rain during bloom presented some challenges in 2019 and cut back the crop by as much as 35%. This allowed the vine to concentrate its efforts on fewer grapes resulting in very good concentration and structure.

Winemaker Notes: The majority of fruit for this wine comes from the famed Margarita Vineyard. It’s nestled in the hills above the city of San Luis Obispo on the Central Coast of California. It is the coolest sub-appellation of Paso Robles and arguably has the longest growing season, which leads to wines with deeper color and broader tannins than in most other regions of the area.

Tasting Notes: Notes of black cherry, cocoa powder and herbes de Provence on the nose. Flavors start with red cherry and gradually move to plum and blackberry. Bright acidity and supple tannins wrap around the tongue in a lengthy finish.

Chardonnay

varietal: Chardonnay

appellation: California (67% San Juan Creek, 17% Santa Margarita Ranch, 16% Edna Valley)

vintage: 2019

alcohol: 14.5%

ta:0.6 g/100ml

ph:3.48

Oak Regimen: 50% New French Oak, 50% American Oak

Winemaker Notes: The 2019 vintage was defined by a late harvest and small crop. All grapes were taken directly to press as whole clusters, gently pressed into tanks, cold-settled, racked as clean juice, and fermented over a two month period at very cool temperatures. Once primary fermentation completed, the lot from San Juan Creek went through a complete secondary fermentation.

Tasting Notes: Aromas of green apple and tropical fruits underscored with notes of toast and brioche. The flavors are ripe and round, with pineapple and mango being the predominant fruits. This is a particularly buttery Chardonnay that isn’t overtly cloying. Pretty notes of citrus supported by a solid core of acidity gives this wine a seamless structure.

Cabernet Sauvignon

varietal: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Petit Verdot

appellation: California (45% Mendocino County, 40% Paso Robles, 15% Lodi)

vintage: 2019

alcohol: 14.5%

ta:0.49

ph:3.95

Vintage Notes: The 2019 crop was about two thirds of what we’d normally experience. The quality, however, was excellent and we were able to make all of the picking decisions on flavor.

Winemaker Notes: We picked all of our fruit for this wine mid-September to the first w eek of October. All fruit was fermented in stainless steel tanks, pressed, then racked into a mix of barrels. Final blend around December of 2020.

Tasting Notes: Aromas of blackberry and raspberry are accompanied by notes of fragrant lilac and vanilla. Rich and expressive from first sip, this is a food friendly Cabernet Sauvignon that bursts with flavors of juicy plum, black cherry and strawberry, along with a hint of sweet baking spices.

Pinot Noir Can

varietal: Pinot Noir

appellation: California

vintage: NV

alcohol: 13.5%

ta:0.65 g/L

ph:3.53

Winemaker Notes: First and foremost, this wine must taste great cold with intense fruit flavors and, as it warms up, stays in balance. Second, the wine’s tannins had to be softened. They’re still there, but they’re in a form we call “melting tannins”. They’re so soft and supple that they could be confused for the fruit flavors. Perfect for your backpack, swimming pool, ice chest or for tossing in your bag before heading to a friend’s.

Tasting Notes: Flavors and aromatics of black cherry coca cola along with notes of red raspberry, pomegranate and rhubarb pie filling. Soft and supple and kind of refreshing. It’s also a pretty serious wine and can stand up to anything put in the bottle.