From the Aurora plot of Diamond Mountain's own vineyards. Aged for 28 months in French barrels. Deep ruby color with chocolate, black currant, smoked aroma and burnt earth aroma. Elegant and medium to full-bodied. Aromatic, delicious, pure and impressive wine. Only 25% of the wines harvested are selected to make this wine. We have been making red wine from the same vineyard until 2011, but since the vines have aged sufficiently and the characteristics of this vineyard have become more evident, we have been making red wine from the vineyard since 2012 VTG. It was decided to give it the name "Aurora".
Vintage Information
There was ample rainfall during the winter, allowing the soil to retain plenty of moisture.
Spring was cool and rainy, causing bud break and flowering to occur 2-3 weeks later than in the past two years.
The Cabernet Sauvignon received favourable rainfall in May and warm summer temperatures allowed the vines to catch up after a slow start to growth.
There was only a two-day heat wave in mid-August, but from late August to early September, daytime temperatures were high and nights were cold, with large diurnal temperature differences, creating ideal conditions for ripening. This resulted in a well-balanced year with an average yield, good acidity, and moderate sugar content.
(Excerpt from the Napa Valley Harvest Report published by CWI on November 30, 2019)
Technical information
The grapes are harvested several times over a two-week period, hand-sorted and sorted, and fermented in stainless steel tanks and oak barrels.
Aging: Aged for approximately 28 months in 225 liter French barrels.
Tasting Comments
Aurora's characteristic black fruit aromas are complemented by vanilla, cinnamon and clove, with a hint of blackberry, cassis and cherry sugar on the palate.
The tannins are supple, giving the wine a seamless, smooth mouthfeel from entry to finish and a long, full-bodied finish.
Decanting is recommended when drinking young.
Field Information
Checkerboard owns four vineyards at different altitudes, with Aurora, located at 400 metres above sea level, being the oldest of the four.
They have been making red wine from Aurora grapes since the 2006 vintage, but starting with the 2012 vintage, they changed the name of the wine to "Aurora Napa Valley Red Wine" to clearly state its single vineyard source.
Aurora is located on a hillock at an altitude of 365 meters that surrounds the winery in a valley slightly above the middle of Diamond Mountain. Half of the vineyard, or 24,000 m2, is made up of loamy red clay soil covered with volcanic basalt gravel, while the remaining 24,000 m2 is made up of white volcanic ash soil and weathered rhyolite mixed with pebbles that have been eroded by wind and rain from the steep rocky mountains above Diamond Mountain.
The advantage of being a circular hill is that there is nothing blocking the sunlight on the south side, it is open to the east and west, and summer fog does not linger for long.
Vintage: 2019
Capacity: 750ml
Type: Red wine
Taste: Full-bodied
Main variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Country of Origin: America
Region Name: California
AVA: Napa Valley
Vineyard: Aurora Vineyard
Winemaker: Martha McLellan
Vinification: Fermented in stainless steel tanks and oak barrels
Aging: 28 months in French barrels (225 liters)
Cap: Cork
Alcohol content: 15.1%