This is a very interesting feature with Don Wallace. We have covered many of the incredible wines from Dry Creek vineyard,and now movew into The Mariner 2019 from Dry Creek Valley. As we always do we will check out the tasting notes and idems of interst from the website of this world class winery. drycreekvineyard.com. Winemaker Notes: The Mariner is a powerful, yet elegant Meritage made in the tradition of some of the world’s greatest Bordeaux blends. We call this proprietary blend “The Mariner” because just as a mariner navigates his ship, so too must our winemaker navigate his way through a vintage. The grapes for this delicious Bordeaux-inspired blend come from several of our most prized estate and hillside vineyards in the Dry Creek Valley. At first swirl, the wine displays aromas of black currant, black cherry and blackberry. Several more minutes reveal hints of cardamom, white pepper, cumin and dried herbs. The palate has dark berry flavors along with earthy complexity and savory tones. It finishes with notes of mocha, marzipan, fine leather and black tea. Good acidity will help this wine to age beautifully for years to come. BLEND: 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 11% Malbec, 8% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc FERMENTATION: 12–17 days in fermenters at 82–88˚F; pumped over twice daily BARREL AGING: 20 months in French and Hungarian oak; 46% new oak HARVEST DATE: September 27–October 24, 2019 SOIL: Hillside vineyard with gravelly soil, iron-rich VINE AGE: 20+ years Each and every grape is grown on one of our estate vineyards or by one of our longtime growing partners. In our 100% certified-sustainable estate vineyards, we walk the land, replenish the soil naturally, and make multiple pruning passes throughout the growing season to ensure that our grapes are balanced and delicious when they reach their peak ripeness. We have cultivated relationships over the past five decades with small, local family farms and worked with them extensively for the best results possible. It is not an exaggeration to say that we know every hand that touches the grapes. Please visit their website,and also make plans to visit the great town of Healdsburg in the very near future,and plan to spend some time at this amazing winery in the heart of the Dry Creek Vineyard! please click on the link below,and you can listen to this great audio feature with Don Wallace and myself. Click here and join us as we enjoy great food and wine .