2017 - The debut vintage of Schrader MB explores the vast riches of the To Kalon Vineyard® Monastery Block™ to its fullest potential. The fruit from this gravelly vineyard block abutting the Mayacamas Mountains creates a dense, focused, round, and uniquely supple wine with miles of intensely dark, ripe black fruit, dusty earth, and toasty oak. New for the 2017 vintage, the Schrader MB shows elegance and luster, offering a unique expression of this remarkable block of the historic vineyard site. Spring of 2017 was one of the largest winter rainfall totals we have experienced in recent years. Fortunately, once flowering started, the rains held off and allowed for optimal fruit set and prepared the clusters for even fruit ripening. Veraison finished at the end of August and the vines were positioned for success. Due to a combination of natural phenomena, the yields in 2017 are slightly lower and nearly matched to those that we produced in 2016 and 2015. This lower-than-average yield allowed for greater concentration on the vine, providing the wines with more depth of character and rich complexity. barrel score:
93 – 95 points, the wine advocate, 10.29.18
| “…deep garnet-purple and has a nose of warm blackberries, preserved plums and mulberries with an earthy/savory undercurrent of smoked mates, chargrill, roasted nuts and sautéed herbs. The palate is medium to full-bodied, firm and concentrated, with nice ripe, grainy tannins and great concentration, finishing long and earthy.” — lisa perrotti-brown, the wine advocate, 10.29.18