Amuse Bouche
The Wine
Our 2006 harvest is complete. It was a year that kept us busy due to dramatic growing conditions. We started the year with heavy flooding and then a lot of rain in the Spring which lead to a delay in bud break by a few weeks. June brought beautiful conditions and the vines began to bloom and set fruit. By mid-July we had record-setting heat that may have in fact aided the vintage to 'catch up'. Fall brought us a cool, long growing season. The extended hang time helped in the development of very complex, concentrated flavors. Heidi is very pleased with the vintage and anticipates another complex yet elegant vintage.
The Artist: George Rodrigue
Iconic Louisana artist George Rodrigue passed away on December 14, 2013, leaving behind a unique legacy including his famous loup-garou or "Blue Dog." George Rodrigue created our 2006 vintage label featuring the famed "Blue Dog" and also created the original "Pink Dog" for our Prêt à Boire Rosé.
"The 2006 exhibits beautiful notes of chocolate, mocha, espresso roast, black cherries, and black currants. Deep and rich, with none of the tough tannins that can be found in 2006 Bordeaux varietals, its finish is deep, lush, and opulent. Consume it over the next decade. This boutique operation...seems to have hit its stride. There are about 500 cases each of the 2006 and 2007, which are virtually all Merlot." - Wine Advocate, Issue #180, December 2008
"Bright ruby-red. Vibrant aromas of cassis, flowers and incense, lifted by a violet topnote. Suave and sexy wine, at once plush and light on its feet, with excellent definition and intensity to its scented flavors of dark berries and brown spices. Finishes long and perfumed, with fine-grained tannins." - Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, December 2008
"Intense and well-focused, showing layered aromas of blackberry, espresso and toasty herbs, with complex flavors of briary plum, sage and hints of leather. The tannins are firm but ripe, with a hint of heat on the finish. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2013." - Wine Spectator, August 2008
"...the 2006 vintage is not lacking in (flavor): Silky, elegant, and smoky, this California take on Pomerol is...cooler than, say, the bright, berry-filled 2005 vintage, showing more dark plum and earthy spice. Yet the wine's structure and style are pure Barrett, which is to say they are pure artistry." - Robb Report, October 2007
