Hailing from arguably the two greatest mountain AVAs in California, the Santa Cruz Mountains and Howell Mountain, this is the kind of wine we like to drink, and we have doing just that. The Cabernet and Merlot for this wine were fermented separately and aged for 36 months in 2 year old French oak barrels before being blended and bottled together. I can still pick out the characteristics of the two AVAs in the blend (although I do have the advantage of having known them before they were forever joined). The purist in me wanted to bottle these wines individually, but the hedonist in me couldn't resist bottling up this cuvee once I tasted them together. So this is the result, and we're looking forward to sharing it with you.

• in the glass it possesses an almost opaque ruby color. The aromatics are abit shy at first but open up with the rest of the wine. It is just a baby after all. Blueberries, blackberries, and black currant on the front gives way to loads of black licorice with deeper notes of fir, eucalyptus, and espresso. More of the same once you have it in your mouth plus+ strawberry jam, blueberry pie and notes of toast, maple syrup, chocolate, pepper, with something floral (is it rose?). Bright and dark fruit followed by earth with long silky tannins and THE perfect amount of (natural) acidity binding everything. This guy is ready to drink now if you drink it slow or decant. Its set to evolve and improve for 15 to 20. the best of both worlds. Years of fun in a bottle.