Winemaker Notes
Our 12th vintage of Legacy came from nine carefully selected lots of wine from our estate vineyards in the eastern mountains enclosing southern Alexander Valley. Individual barrels of the selected lots were chosen for their depth, complexity and concentration of dark fruit flavors, for their rich, fine, supple tannins, and for their opulent, mouth-filling texture.
The wine was aged in small, thin-staved, French oak barrels from coopers in Bordeaux. Regular racking helped in the natural clarification of the wine. As the lots for this vintage were selected with an emphasis on the quality and suppleness of their tannin structure, the blend needed only a slight egg white fining before being bottled unfiltered.
This aromatic wine, rich in spicy flavors reminiscent of cedar, cassis and dark chocolate with hints of smoky toastiness, is packed with concentrated black fruit flavors, and is soft and supple on the palate.
Professional Ratings
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Home to a diverse array of smaller AVAs with varied microclimates and soil types, Sonoma County has something for every wine lover. Physically twice as large as Napa Valley, the region only produces about half the amount of wine but boasts both tremendous quality and variety. With its laid-back atmosphere and down-to-earth attitude, the wineries of Sonoma are appreciated by wine tourists for their friendliness and approachability. The entire county intends to become a 100% sustainable winegrowing region by 2019.
Sonoma County wines are produced with carefully selected grape varieties to reflect the best attributes of their sites—Dry Creek Valley’s consistent sunshine is ideal for Zinfandel, while the warm Alexander Valley is responsible for rich, voluptuous red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are important throughout the county, most notably in the cooler AVAs of Russian River, Sonoma Coast and Carneros. Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Syrah have also found a firm footing here.