Shotwell Vineyard

Paso Robles experienced generous preseason rainfall during the month of January 2021 but an especially dry winter and spring followed. Dry conditions that year forced vines to produce small but concentrated berries, typical of drought years in Paso Robles. However, mild daytime temperatures paired with cool nights kept berries fresh and allowed Paso Robles winegrowers the luxury of patience to harvest grapes at optimal ripeness. Extractable anthocyanin content from red grapes in Paso Robles reached an all-time high in 2021, with resulting wines eclipsing color density levels of the acclaimed 2007, 2013, and 2019 vintages. This bottling comes from block 11, which was planted with clone 169 Cabernet Sauvignon. Élevage took place in 80% neutral oak barrels and 20% new French oak barrels to showcase the complex vineyard-driven flavors within a modest oak framework.