Hand harvested and sorted fruit was sourced from the 6 year old vines of Dickinson vineyard, situated on a stunning bluff above the lake about half-way to Naramata village. A summer of consistent heat and long hang time (harvested October 18th) resulted in intensely ripe fruit. A 4 day cold soak and controlled fermentation were followed by extended maceration--16 days on skins, malo-lactic fermentation in oak, and a further 13 months barrel maturation in older French oak.