Inky deep purple hue.
Aromas of stewed cherry, caramel, bergamot and herbs.
It has a rich flavour of ripe black cherries, baked apples, spicy nutmeg and cocoa powder.
The savory, sweet flavors of candied walnuts and toasted oak linger on for a long finish.
The 2019 growing season got off to a slow start for most of California's grape growing regions.
Heavy rains and cool temperatures in early spring slowed the vines' development.
The continued low temperatures resulted in a long hang time and produced grapes with lower sugar content than usual.
As a result, growers are praising the 2019 grapes, describing them as aromatic, with fresh acidity and excellent balance.
We source fruit from the best North Coast grape growing regions including Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake County.
Most of the grapes are harvested from volcanic rocky soils and sloping mountain vineyards, giving the wines powerful structure and concentration.
After two days of cold soaking, the grapes are crushed and undergo primary fermentation in stainless steel tanks at relatively high temperatures.
After malolactic fermentation, the remainder is aged for seven months in traditional French, French, Hungarian and American barrels, with a mix of used bourbon barrels adding a unique, rich aromatic character.
Sebastiani Vineyards' history dates back to 1825.
That year, Franciscan missionaries, with the assistance of local Native Americans, planted the first vineyards near Solano, San Francisco, and these vineyards eventually became some of the oldest in Northern California.
Founder Samuel Sebastiani immigrated to the United States in 1895 and had experience in wine production in Tuscany, Italy, and in 1904 the vineyard was acquired by him.
Samuel saved up enough money by hauling stone from quarries in the Sonoma hills and mountains.
These stones formed the foundation of San Francisco's sidewalks and remain to this day.
Using the skillful and advanced techniques he learned before moving to the United States, he began producing high-quality Sonoma wines.
Soon after Samuel's death in 1944, his son Augusto Sebastiani and his wife Silvia carried on their father's legacy, increasing the winery's production by a factor of 100 and leading the winery to success with its innovative ideas and premium varietal wines, including popular magnums priced at a fraction of the price.
They introduced "Nouveau" Gamay and Beaujolais to America and also produced a blush wine known as "Eye of the Swan" and Pinot Noir Blanc.
The colour of this wine reminded me of the pink eyes of Australian black swans.
As a result of all his endeavors, August has quickly earned a reputation as one of America's most accomplished and innovative winemakers.
Marie-Ann, a third generation member of this renowned winemaking family, continues to play a leadership role as President and Chief Executive Officer of Sebastiani Cuneo.
Today, Marie Ann's focus is on a long-awaited two-year project to restore and improve the winery to its original 1903 state.
All of the traditional grape varieties thrive in Sonoma.
But there seems to be an ideal spot in the county for each variety, in terms of climate, soil, altitude, sunshine and the potential of the vineyards themselves.
After nearly 100 years of growing grapes and making wine in Sonoma County, we feel deeply that these are premium grapes worthy of being emulated.