Winemaker Notes This Cabernet Sauvignon dominant Bordeaux blend incorporates all four red varieties on our estate: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc. 2018 was a cooler vintage than average throughout the entire growing season, which allowed for long hangtimes – a combination that yielded wines of full flavor ripeness, moderate alcohols and mouthfeel, and beautifully vibrant aromatics. Bright red fruits interwoven with fresh violets and a hint of cedar interwoven pop from the glass. Red cherry and raspberry form the core of this wine’s bursting blend of flavors. A touch lighter than the rest of the Skipstone wines, Preface has a medium body, yet displays the classic Skipstone vineyard characteristics: purity of fruit, density, and freshness. \About Winery Skipstone is tucked between two stunning hillsides in the mountains above Alexander Valley. We aspire to perfection in every aspect of our wine growing and estate farming, drawing inspiration from the unparalleled potential and promise of the earth. Uncompromising in our standards of sustainability and treatment of the land, we are committed to nurturing the precious resource that is our 200 acre estate. Blessed by nature, we listen intently to the terroir of our vineyards, and in turn, our wines speak eloquently of their origin.

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Winemaker Notes The sensational 2019 vintage rightfully has been receiving early praise in our region. The moderately warm days long into the growing season yielded high flavors, mouth-filling dark fruited wines, and plush, soft tannins across the Skipstone lineup. Immediately giving on both the nose and the palate, Preface is a delightfully enjoyable wine. A sweet core of plum, cherry and fig anchors the wine on the palate with supporting notes of aged leather, pomegranate, and balsamic reduction. A deft use of oak during the aging process adds hints of powdered cocoa and cedar. This serious wine persists on the palate that carries the dense fruit through to a strong, lingering finish. About Winery Skipstone is tucked between two stunning hillsides in the mountains above Alexander Valley. We aspire to perfection in every aspect of our wine growing and estate farming, drawing inspiration from the unparalleled potential and promise of the earth. Uncompromising in our standards of sustainability and treatment of the land, we are committed to nurturing the precious resource that is our 200 acre estate. Blessed by nature, we listen intently to the terroir of our vineyards, and in turn, our wines speak eloquently of their origin.

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Winemaker Notes 2018 vintage began late, due to a cool and dry winter – conditions that persisted through the entirety of the growing season. The moderate heat throughout the summer and early fall provided optimal conditions for the steady ripening of the key color, tannin, and flavor compounds. A long hangtime was possible this year because there were none of the major heat spikes we have become accustomed to in recent decades. This provided optimal maturity of the essential phenolics while Brix accumulated slowly, and yielded perfectly healthy, fresh grapes at harvest. In the cellar, our grapes were treated gently, given extended maceration times to extract the lovely flavors and texture present in the grapes, and we incorporated a large percentage of native fermentations this year. The resulting wines made from this vintage are extraordinarily refined, exuding aromatic and textural depth that is immediately apparent in the glass. About Winery Skipstone is tucked between two stunning hillsides in the mountains above Alexander Valley. We aspire to perfection in every aspect of our wine growing and estate farming, drawing inspiration from the unparalleled potential and promise of the earth. Uncompromising in our standards of sustainability and treatment of the land, we are committed to nurturing the precious resource that is our 200 acre estate. Blessed by nature, we listen intently to the terroir of our vineyards, and in turn, our wines speak eloquently of their origin.

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Winemaker Notes 2018 vintage began late, due to a cool and dry winter – conditions that persisted through the entirety of the growing season. The moderate heat throughout the summer and early fall provided optimal conditions for the steady ripening of the key color, tannin, and flavor compounds. A long hangtime was possible this year because there were none of the major heat spikes we have become accustomed to in recent decades. This provided optimal maturity of the essential phenolics while Brix accumulated slowly, and yielded perfectly healthy, fresh grapes at harvest. In the cellar, our grapes were treated gently, given extended maceration times to extract the lovely flavors and texture present in the grapes, and we incorporated a large percentage of native fermentations this year. The resulting wines made from this vintage are extraordinarily refined, exuding aromatic and textural depth that is immediately apparent in the glass. About Winery Skipstone is tucked between two stunning hillsides in the mountains above Alexander Valley. We aspire to perfection in every aspect of our wine growing and estate farming, drawing inspiration from the unparalleled potential and promise of the earth. Uncompromising in our standards of sustainability and treatment of the land, we are committed to nurturing the precious resource that is our 200 acre estate. Blessed by nature, we listen intently to the terroir of our vineyards, and in turn, our wines speak eloquently of their origin.

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Winemaker Notes 2018 vintage began late, due to a cool and dry winter – conditions that persisted through the entirety of the growing season. The moderate heat throughout the summer and early fall provided optimal conditions for the steady ripening of the key color, tannin, and flavor compounds. A long hangtime was possible this year because there were none of the major heat spikes we have become accustomed to in recent decades. This provided optimal maturity of the essential phenolics while Brix accumulated slowly, and yielded perfectly healthy, fresh grapes at harvest. In the cellar, our grapes were treated gently, given extended maceration times to extract the lovely flavors and texture present in the grapes, and we incorporated a large percentage of native fermentations this year. The resulting wines made from this vintage are extraordinarily refined, exuding aromatic and textural depth that is immediately apparent in the glass. About Winery Skipstone is tucked between two stunning hillsides in the mountains above Alexander Valley. We aspire to perfection in every aspect of our wine growing and estate farming, drawing inspiration from the unparalleled potential and promise of the earth. Uncompromising in our standards of sustainability and treatment of the land, we are committed to nurturing the precious resource that is our 200 acre estate. Blessed by nature, we listen intently to the terroir of our vineyards, and in turn, our wines speak eloquently of their origin.

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Winemaker Notes Since the inaugural Skipstone vintage of 2005, our annual approach with Oliver’s Blend is to create a blend of Cabernet Sauvignons from up to 20 individual small lots. Each lot has a unique profile (based on soil type, exposure and clonal selection) and blended they create a foundation. This Cabernet Sauvignon is then embellished with small amounts of our other blending varietals to best showcase the vintage. With so many pockets of soil differentiation and exposures, Oliver’s Blend is a symphonic compilation of aroma and flavor. This, coupled with clonal diversity of multiple Cabernet clones throughout our hillside plantings, creates an exceptionally complex wine. Year after year, this is a wine of profound power and elegance. Oliver’s Blend is aged for two years in barrel and another year in bottle prior to our release. This highly-structured Cabernet Sauvignon is an excellent candidate for further cellaring, with potential to age for decades. About Winery Skipstone is tucked between two stunning hillsides in the mountains above Alexander Valley. We aspire to perfection in every aspect of our wine growing and estate farming, drawing inspiration from the unparalleled potential and promise of the earth. Uncompromising in our standards of sustainability and treatment of the land, we are committed to nurturing the precious resource that is our 200 acre estate. Blessed by nature, we listen intently to the terroir of our vineyards, and in turn, our wines speak eloquently of their origin.

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