Alexander Valley Vineyards, "CYRUS" Meritage Blend, Sonoma County, California, 2016

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Overview of the Wine
After purchasing the historic Cyrus Alexander homestead, Harry and Maggie Wetzel strived to create a thriving agricultural lifestyle on the property.  They raised their children along with their vines in Alexander Valley, providing inspiration and encouragement as they developed the estate together.  Decades later, the fourth generation of their family is growing up amongst vineyards and next door to the working winery that is known around the world as “AVV”.  You could call it a family tradition.  We’d be inclined to agree.

Winemaker Kevin Hall is constantly adapting to the rhythms of nature, the readiness of the vineyards and the evolution of the individual wines.  While our vineyards provide the sense of terroir and consistent character of our fruit, our winemaking staff provides the invaluable experience.  Their work is constant and crucial; topping the barreled wines to minimize air contact as they develop, monitoring and measuring the young wines as they progress, and tasting, tasting, tasting.  Decades of experience tying vineyard and winery together give AVV total control of wine production, resulting in rich, complex wines that showcase a truly robust sense of place.

Grape / Blend
62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec, 2% Petit Verdot

Origin
Sonoma County, California

Winemaker's Tasting Note
The vintage has dark purple color and layered, earthy aromas of cassis, black cherry, chocolate, and cherry along with hints of toasty oak and vanilla. This is a silky wine with fresh flavors of cassis, dark chocolate, dark fruits, dusty cherry, and a hint of cedar. The CYRUS boasts smooth texture, excellent balance and a long, lingering finish. The wine is plush now, but as it sits in the glass you get hints of the complexity that will occur with additional cellar aging.

Product size: 750ml