M2 2004 Dos Arkies

Wine Recommendation:
m2 Dos Arkies 2004

Winemaker’s Tasting Notes:
The ‘04 Dos Arkies is complex and layered with intriguing aromas of red fruit, blueberries, leather and smoke. The tannins are firm and the structure is sound. A long finish soars with more red and black fruit. The wine is very drinkable now but will benefit from another year in the cellar and will age well for another three to seven years.

Winemaking Notes:
Since Layne and Chris started making wine together a blended red wine has been at the heart of m2’s production, and we think the 2004 Dos Arkies is the best one yet. The blend of wines will vary each year but Dos Arkies will always represent the best of m2’s winemaking and blending skills.

Vineyard Notes:
The grapes are grown in three different vineyards; the Cabernet Sauvignon is from Pratt Vineyard in the Fair Play AVA. Lani’s Vineyard, in Shenandoah Valley was the source for the Syrah; and the Petite Sirah comes from Herzog Vineyard in Clarksburg.

Pratt Vineyard lies at an elevation of 2700 feet near the southern El Dorado County community of Fair Play and within the boundaries of the newly designated Fair Play AVA. The vines were planted in 1976 on increasingly steeper slopes in an east/west orientation to capture the ideal amount of sun.

Lani’s Vineyard sits on top of the rim of a box canyon that forms the headwaters of the Pigeon Creek Drainage in the Shenandoah Valley. The soil is comprised mostly of decomposed granite and is very shallow. In some places bedrock is only three to four feet below the surface. The extreme growing conditions produce wines of great extraction and flavor. Low yields contribute to the complexities of Syrah from this vineyard.

The Petite Sirah comes from a special block of the Herzog Vineyard near Clarksburg. The vines are about 20 years old, are hand-pruned and hand-harvested, and the crop is kept below four tons to the acre. All three varieties were fermented separately then blended prior to bottling. The Syrah was aged in new and used American and French oak, the Cabernet was aged in new French oak, and the Petite Sirah was aged in experienced American oak.

Technical Notes:

Appellation:	California
Blend:	43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Syrah, 22% Petite Sirah
Harvest:	September 16, September 1 & October 15, 2004
Brix at Harvest:	Average of 26
Fermentation:	Cabernet & Syrah – Open-top Containers, Manual Punchdown, Vertical Basket Press; Petite Sirah – Stainless Steel Tank, Pump-Over, Horizontal Bladder Press
Yeasts:	D254, D80, Pasteur Red
Aging:	French & American – 35% New, 65% Used
Production:	271 Cases