ACCOLADES
96 Wine Advocate - "Intoxicating scents of pomegranate liqueur, blackberry jam, Earl Grey tea leaves and earth. Concentrated and powerful! Fine, chalky tannins and mouthwatering acidity and a long, floral and spice-laced finish."
Certified Organically Grown
Fruit source: Bethel Heights Vineyard 114, West 777, West 115 Block 3; Lewman Vineyard 115 and Pommard
Harvest date: October 13-18, 2022 Grapes at harvest: Brix 23.3, pH 3.15, TA 6.2
Finished wine: Alcohol 13.5%, pH 3.39, TA 5.7 gr/liter
Barrel aged 11 months in French oak, 35% new barrels
Cases produced: 415 in 750ml, 100 in 375ml
Bottled unfined September 14, 2023
The 2022 Casteel includes five blocks selected from Lewman Vineyard and the Western slopes of Bethel Heights, which unintentionally form a straight North-South line between the two vineyards. This was born of many blind tastings at the blending table, not a conscious choice to pull from a specific vein of the property. It’s comforting to know that the Casteel, in our view the best wine of the vintage, is coming not from our oldest vines, but from grafted vines ranging from 26 to 30 years of age. As we begin the bittersweet process of replanting the original vines at Bethel Heights, there is solace in knowing that we have tremendous material still at hand, and the promise of what is to come from replanting into the future.
Fact Sheet