• Charred oak
• Black cherry
• Cassis & earth
• Dense tannins

The 2018 vintage is a big structured, dense tannin wine offering ripe fruit aromas and flavors of black cherry, black currant, cassis, earth, charred oak and hints of black pepper and natural acidity. The mouthfeel leads to a bold, long, and lingering finish.

A red blend with 80.1% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9.8% Petite Sirah and 9.8% Malbec grown in the Lodi region of California.

Lodi has been grape growing since the 1850s and in most places, the soil is deep loam which is similar to the French Rhône region of Châteauneuf du Pape. Locals insist the East Side of the region grows the best Cabernet Sauvignon because the soil is full of cobble stones and low on nutrients. The soil is also low on water retention leaving the vines stressed which leads to intensity of color. Most of the grapes for Three Finger Jack East Side Ridge come from here. The appellation has a classic Mediterranean-like climate featuring warm days and cool evenings. Situated 100 miles directly east of the San Francisco Bay at the edge of the San Joaquin/Sacramento River Delta, cool “delta breezes” provide the region with a reliable, natural air conditioning throughout the growing season.

The 2018 growing season was ideal for producing high quality, elegant wines that are dark in color and rich in fruit flavor to match. Fruit development – from bud break through berry set – progressed at a moderate pace, allowing the result to be packed with brilliant, complex, and concentrated flavors.

Optimal picking for the Cabernet Sauvignon that goes into the blend is a combination of Winemaker evaluation, vineyard condition, and a weather eye. Cabernet Sauvignon is picked based upon proper flavor ripeness as well as tannin ripeness. With Cabernet Sauvignon being such a late ripening grape, sometimes it is a matter of the Winemaker taking the risk of waiting for higher maturity in the face of impending weather events. The fruit is harvested in the cool of the night and delivered to the Winery to be destemmed into fermentation tanks. It then spends 24-48 hours slowly warming up to proper fermentation temperature. This allows us to have a period of aqueous extraction before fermentation begins. By controlling temperature and the cap management regime, the Winemaker is trying to balance proper extraction with a healthy fermentation. Once the wine is made, a portion is stored in oak barrels where the wine slowly matures and softens allowing the Winemaker to craft their signature style. A small amount of Petite Sirah and Malbec is added to provide structure and color to the final blend.