2017 Skipstone Red Faultline Vineyard
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Based on 57% Cabernet Franc, 40% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon that's all from the estate vineyard, the 2017 Faultline Vineyard spent 18 months in 65% new French oak. Deep ruby/purple-hued with lots of Franc character in its red and black fruits, forest floor, spice box, and flowery notes, this beauty shines for its elegance and complexity more than power and richness. Balanced and straight-up classy, it's going to benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age and keep for 15 years or more.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate
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The 2017 Faultline Vineyard is blended of 57% Cabernet Franc, 40% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon. The Merlot was harvested on September 6 and the Cabernet Franc on October 5. It aged 18 months in 65% new french oak and was bottled unfined and unfiltered. Most everything Skipstone normally makes was not bottled in 2017. Deep purple-black colored, it comes wafting out of the glass with a beautiful perfume of rose hip tea, dried lavender, kirsch, raspberry leaves and red currants with a core of blackberries and black cherries plus a touch of garrigue. Medium-bodied, the palate delivers wonderful poise and grace with lively red and black fruit layers and a firm frame of fine-grained tannins, finishing long and perfumed. 270 cases produced.