Slate 6 Magnum

ABV: 13.5% 

Blend/Varietal:  49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Cabernet Franc, 21% Petit Verdot, 7% Merlot, 1% Malbec 

Aged in Barrel: 18 mo oak barrel 

Bottled: May 2019 

Released: January 2021  

Cases: 417 

Notes/Background: I tasted this wine over the course of 5 days, well kinda.  I did notes on Days 1 and 2, and then let it sit for the next couple days because I had other stuff going on.  When I came back to it on day 5, the wine hadn’t lost any of its freshness/aromas/flavors. Definitely want to watch temperature not to serve either too warm or too cool.  On day 5, I paired it with a triple cream brie and warm baguette… heavenly.   

Color/Clarity: pale-medium purple; clear; lots of moderate sized legs than glide down the glass 

Aroma: complex and aromatic:  blackberry, sweet wood, vanilla, nutmeg, raspberry, cherry, almond, floral, leather 

Palate: complex; bright acidity, tannins that dry mouth; tart fruits: raspberry, black currant, pomegranate, pepper spice, licorice, cola, plum, black tea, cherry, mineral; long warm, peppery spice finish 

Suggested Serve Temp: 63-67  (day 5 tried from 55.5-62.5= wow) 

Slate is a non-vintage blend that first appeared on our tasting menu in Fall, 2011. That first release of Slate was drawn from the 2007 and 2008 vintages, with a bit of 2010 in to bring in some freshness in the fruit. While it tasted like a classic Bordeaux style blend, it had 31% Syrah in the blend. Since that time, Slate has been made by using solely our Bordeaux grapes. Slate is made using the more tannic, pressed wine, which generally gets a longer period of barrel aging. Slate 6, however, only saw 18 months of barrel aging; yet I’d assume that it is made mostly from our press wines. Speaking of 18 months; one can discern that this wine is made from our 2017 vintage growing season.  Despite being able to call this a “vintage” release, we are keeping the naming consistent and calling it Slate 6.