2022 Cornelious Reserve

                Inwood Estate’s tempranillo program produces wines at three distinct production levels: 3.0 tons per acre, 1.5 tons per acre, and less than 0.5 tons per acre. For single variety tempranillo, those wines are our Cornelious, Cornelious Reserve, and Colos, respectively. As we decrease production levels, we simultaneously increase in quality levels.

                Our Cornelious Reserve, produced at roughly 12-16 clusters per vine, showcases perfectly the inverse relationship between production level and quality. Bright red fruit expression, dense mouthfeel and velvety smooth tannins are all hallmarks of high quality tempranillo. This wine has superb aging ability and will tend to peak 5-8 years from harvest date. New innovations in the fermentation and élevage programs have allowed us to maintain a lengthy bottle life, while also making the wines much more approachable at a young age.

                This release marks the fifth installment of a Reserve tempranillo from Inwood. Past vintages include 2008, 2012, 2015, and 2017. What makes the 2022 vintage unique is its freshness. This resulted in advanced hand sorting in the field before harvest to ensure no underripe or secondary clusters were pulled during the pick. By eliminating these unwanted clusters, it also eliminated any hint of green or off-putting flavors that typically take time-in-barrel to breathe off. For that reason, our time-in-barrel was reduced to 16 months, down from an average of 24 months in past vintages. This wine was aged in 100% French Oak, 28% of which was new.

Drink: now until 2031

Peaks: 2027-2029