2012 Rhododactylos
The fruit of the amazing 130-year-old Bechtold Ranch Cinsault ripened early this year with extraordinarily rich flavors. We made the wine this year with an absolute minimum of skin contact, aiming for a Blanc de Noir, but the vintage is determining the wine, not us. The wine is somewhat rosé, as the 2010 was, and riper and richer (though at lower alcohol) than the 2011 was. One still does not taste red fruit; instead, vibrancy, sharpness, power all at once.