La Joie
2021
Vintage
The 2021 Sonoma County growing season was preceded by a very chilly winter with below average rainfall, marking a second straight year of drought in Northern California. To ensure balance between the vines and available soil nutrients in the coming vintage, our vineyard teams carefully pruned each vine throughout the cold winter months, reducing the number of clusters each would be asked to ripen. Cool temperatures persisted into early spring, pushing Budbreak a bit later than average, but by early May the weather warmed up beautifully, delivering a fine start to the growing season. The summer months brought sunny, warm weather with characteristically cool nighttime temperatures, and only a few minor heat spikes.
Notes
This vintage of La Joie wears a saturated dark purple core of color, surrounded by a thin violet rim. The nose is linear and focused, with complex aromas of fresh plum, crushed pomegranate, and black currant, along with non-fruit characters of pen ink, fresh bay leaf, Maduro tobacco, and French oak nuances of toasted cinnamon, and toasted clove. The palate is bolstered by firm tannins and acidity, but flushed with youthful primary fruit, sweet spices, and subtle herbs. On the finish, each of these elements has its moment of prominence before relenting to tenacious dark cocoa tannins and iron minerality. Young and integrating now, this wine will age for decades.
- Tasting Date: March 2024
Composition
71% Cabernet Sauvignon
14% Merlot
10% Cabernet Franc
5% Petit Verdot
Surprisingly open-knit at this early stage, offering pure aromas of cassis, crushed blueberries, licorice, garrigue, earth and violet with streaks of pencil shavings. The full-bodied palate is earthy to begin, its fruit laced with truffle-like accents. Structurally harmonious, it features abundant, powdery tannins and plenty of refreshing acidity to highlight a flourish of spicy accents across the long finish.
2021 La Joie is packed with loads of licorice, blackcurrant, menthol, and polished leather. Full-bodied and plush, with a rocky texture, massive structure, and tremendous power, it will be a wine to cellar while you’re drinking the 2022s.