The Making of TELOS – 2011

What is Livermore terroir? For over a century, wine professionals have examined this question, particularly as it pertains to Bordeaux varieties. By 1890, Livermore wines already were regarded for their perfume, and for their firm yet fleshy tannins. Minerality and earthiness, also, were part of this terroir, a culinary mix of sage, lavender, and thyme.

In the creation of TELOS, we seek each year to encapsulate the finest elements of our terroir in a single wine. Each vintage begins as a blank slate, since each year produces different textures and flavors. We begin crafting TELOS in February, about 16 months after harvest. It is then that we analyze each barrel, paying particular attention to wines that show promise for the blend. From these barrels, we build the layers of our terroir, establishing the final blend in early March. This final blend is returned to barrels for additional development prior to bottling.

Each year, the blend for TELOS changes: different varieties, vineyards, and coopers. But, the resulting wine maintains the signature elements of our terroir that best define the vintage. In 2011, a cool season produced wines with remarkable fruit and structure. The Cabernet Sauvignon provided wonderful notes of cassis and tannin (as expected, given its Best of Class award and 90-point rating in Wine Enthusiast!), and thus became the dominant element in this year’s blend. Merlot was added to flesh out the tannins, and a healthy dose of Cabernet Franc was used to bring in perfume, and notes of wild berry and culinary herbs.

TELOS, like all of our wines, is hand crafted to express the best of the varietal and our Valley. Countless hours of research, training, effort, and passion go into every bottle of our wine.