Description

The majority of our Cabernet Sauvignon fruit comes from the Firehouse Vineyard located on the East side of Paso Robles. The vineyard takes its name from the small volunteer fire department located at its entrance. Firehouse vineyard imparts a spicy pepper and a clove character to the Poppy blend. We also use a small amount of Syrah fruit from the Tracy Hills AVA for added complexity and rich color. This Appellation was established in 2006 and is located east of San Francisco between the rolling hills of Altamont and the town of Tracy. WINEMAKING: The grapes for this wine are de-stemmed and lightly crushed before being sent to a stainless steel tank for fermentation. The tank warms up gradually allowing for a slow build up to fermentation. We begin aggressively pumping over the tank and introducing oxygen to the fermentation once the wine’s alcohol reaches about 5%. Our goal is to extract a generous amount of flavor and color with a balanced amount of natural tannin. Post fermentation the wine is aged with a thoughtfully crafted mix of French and American oak, routinely tasted for flavor development and blended for the right balance of weight, color and finish. TASTING NOTES: A rich and full-bodied wine with aromas of black cherry, sweet boysenberry and spicy cinnamon, compliment the ripe flavors of black currant and plum. Adding a small amount of Syrah and aging the wine on a mixture of American and French oak imparts intensity and depth as well as sweet spices such as vanilla and hints of nutmeg.