Alexander Valley Vineyards Cyrus

In 1840 Alexander Valley namesake Cyrus Alexander rode into our valley and called it the ""brightest and best spot in the world"". He chose this spot to build his home and raise his family, and many years later we would do the same. This wine is our tribute to the man, the region and the very best of the vintage. In 1995 Hank Wetzel produced the first vintage of CYRUS, today winemaker Kevin Hall carries on the tradition with our 21st release of CYRUS. He has selected ten distinctive lots of estate Bordeaux grapes for this vintage, anchoring the blend with three complex lots of Cabernet Sauvignon. The western drought continued in 2015 and was once again the topic of much discussion. A cool spring, rain at bloom and hot July along with the continued effects from the lack of rain contributed to lower yields. As a result the grapes had terrific concentration and superb fruit flavors at harvest. After harvest each lot was fermented and aged separately for 12 months, blended to showcase the vintage, then aged for an additional 12 months in French oak barrels to meld the flavors. Additional bottle aging resulted in a seamless blend. The 2015 has dark purple/red color and layered, earthy aromas of cassis, dark cherry, chocolate, and hints of toasty oak and vanilla. This is a silky wine with flavors of cassis, chocolate, cherry, and blackberry. The 2015 CYRUS has elegant texture, excellent balance and a long structured finish. As this wine sits in the glass it just keeps building on itself, hinting at the complexity that will occur with additional cellar aging. ACCOLADES: 2015: 94 points & Gold Medal - London Wine Competition 2015: 93 points - Decanter World Wine Awards 2015: 92 points & Gold Medal - Beverage Testing Institute 2015: 91 points - Wine & Spirits 2015: Gold Medal - TexSom International Wine Awards 2015: Double Gold Medal - Hilton Head Wine & Food Festival