Holden Manz Visionaire

This spicy Bordeaux-style wine is a tribute to Hermitage. Each of the numerous components of the Visionaire can showcase its own unique character while coming together to create an experience that is greater than the sum of its parts.

The grapes are selected from various parcels with different soil types. This complexity in cultivation ensures grand multilayeredness in the wine. To achieve the right balance between sugar and phenolic components, the grapes are harvested at optimal ripeness. Each grape variety is handpicked and crushed and destemmed before being transferred to tanks. After a five-day cold maceration, fermentation is initiated. Minimal additives are used to preserve the true varietal characteristics of the grapes. The wines are aged for 24 months in 20% new and 80% second and third fill French 225-liter oak barrels before being blended prior to bottling.

This wine has an intense dark red color with a bright rim. It is full of aromas of red berries and mulberries, with subtle notes of pencil shavings, spicy white pepper, fynbos, and violets in early spring. It has a creamy, elegant palate, ripe in the middle, and a spicy, smooth finish. Red and black fruits dominate, balanced with a graphite edge. The tannins are soft and refined, exquisitely rounding off the flavors of spices and fresh plum.