Each year in the new millennium we have experienced increasingly warmer growing seasons, which has meant we have picked at somewhat higher sugars, though the harvest times have remained the same. That is, until 2004. That year we picked much earlier than usual - September 11 - and at the highest brix we've seen, 27%. So it called for a different approach.

The skins were so ripe and soft we were able to let the grapes essentially de-juice under their own weight - almost no pressing was needed. Stronger yeasts were called for, ones that could handle the higher alcohol at the end of fermentation. And additional refrigeration was needed to keep the fermentation cool.

For aging we used only three-year air dried French oak of the tightest grain to insure a balanced wood flavor. And after nearly a year in oak the wine was held twice as long as usual in stainless before bottling to help soften its intense, ripe flavors that suggest apricots, ripe apples, with just enough citrus to keep it fresh tasting.

A suggestion for food pairing: Michael Field's Southern fried chicken, or its kin.

The harvest in '03 took place in mid-October after a very warm summer. As usual our grapes were handpicked in the cool, early morning hours. The grapes were hand sorted and crushed immediately, then cold-soaked in the cellar for three days, allowing time for the native yeasts to begin to work. Additional yeasts were added, and the long, slow fermentation took nearly two weeks to complete.

The three varieties in this Bordeaux-style blend - Cabernet Sauvignon, Franc, and Merlot - were fermented and aged separately, then blended after two years in thin-stave chateaux style French barrels. The resulting wine shows more tannin than is typical from our vineyard, so there are more cassis notes than usual, along with the cherry-berry flavors our estate Cabernet is known for. This wine will be very long-lived.

Suggested food pairing: All too easy - steak with a Bordelaise sauce.