2013 Kale Wines Broken Axle Stagecoach Vineyard
Tasted side by side with the 2014 vintage. Deep purplish red with an almost bluish hue. Lush and layered nose with blueberries, sweet spices, crushed rocks and violets. So much more going on too, kept developing in its complexity. Heavy tannins (7/10) and full bodied. Rich and voluptuous on the palate, insanely fruity but very well built. Tons of black and blue fruits on the attack with layers of spices, cinnamon, and a little bit savory. Even a bit of olives underneath with growing white pepper and crushed white rocks. Long and lingering finish with great structure throughout and a touch of heat. Heat was less prominent a bit above cellar temperature.
The Stagecoach Vineyard spans across one portion of Napa Valley that crosses Pritchard Hill, Napa Valley and Atlas Peak. The vines used in this bottling are from the C2C and C2B blocks in the Pritchard Hill region of Stagecoach Vineyards. Both the Syrah and Grenache sourced are Alban clones planted at an elevation of around 1500'. The soils are red Hambright complexes with Guenoc outcroppings. Hambright soil complexes are very shallow and drain well. Guenoc outcroppings mean that there is some soil/rock composition similar to the soil and rocks from the Guenoc Valley AVA just north of Calistoga. These vines also produce very low yields and resulted in extremely small black berries with intense flavors.
This specific bottling is a blend of 95% Syrah and 5% Grenache. The Syrah (15% whole-cluster) were gravity fed into an open top stainless steel fermentor and then saignée before the Grenache is added in order to concentrate the juice. Only native yeast was used. Gentle pushdowns were used to extract during the co-fermentation. Aged without racking for 20 months in used Taransaud French oak barrels. Unfined and unfiltered. Only 150 cases produced and 16.1% alcohol.
2016 till 2034.
Price Point:
$$ - Sample provided by the winery. Can be purchased at the winery for $65.00.Second vintage of the Broken Axle Syrah we have tried from Kale Wines. Super thick purplish ruby red, completely coats the glass, high viscosity. On day one the nose had quite a bit of minerality, iron, a hint of red berries and something a little floral. Day two and three added additional layers of cinnamon, pureed blackberries and black cherries. Moderate tannins (7/10), full bodied and long finish. Both body and finish carried throughout the three days, tannins softened and became more fully integrated. Super extracted on the palate. The palate started off savory with gamey notes and some minerality. Day one also had a little bit of dark berries coming through. Day two and three developed black cherry notes, blackberries, cinnamon and a little nutmeg. Great structure can easily be seen with the longevity this wine has. Killer vintage after killer vintage. Stunning job Kale.
The Stagecoach Vineyard spans across one portion of Napa Valley that crosses Pritchard Hill, Napa Valley and Atlas Peak. The vines used in this bottling are from the C2C and C2B blocks in the Pritchard Hill region of Stagecoach Vineyards. Both the Syrah and Grenache sourced are Alban clones planted at an elevation of around 1500'. The soils are red Hambright complexes with Guenoc outcroppings. Hambright soil complexes are very shallow and drain well. Guenoc outcroppings mean that there is some soil/rock composition similar to the soil and rocks from the Guenoc Valley AVA just north of Calistoga. These vines also produce very low yields and resulted in extremely small black berries with intense flavors.
This specific bottling is a blend of 95% Syrah and 5% Grenache. The Syrah (15% whole-cluster) were gravity fed into an open top stainless steel fermentor and then saignée before the Grenache is added in order to concentrate the juice. Only native yeast was used. Gentle pushdowns were used to extract during the co-fermentation. Aged without racking for 20 months in used Taransaud French oak barrels. Unfined and unfiltered. Only 150 cases produced and 16.1% alcohol.
2016 till 2034.
Price Point:
$$ - Sample provided by the Estate. Can be purchased at the estate for $65.00.