This Stone Eagle is a masterful expression of the 2017 vintage. A warm and sunny fall created ripeness and exceptional flavour development. This wine is 60% merlot, 30% Cabernet sauvignon and 10% Cabernet franc, aged individually for 31 months in oak barriques before blending. The enticing deep ruby, almost opaque, colour is an immediate indication of the concentration of this wine. The nose is intense, dominated by ripe, black fruit. It quickly becomes a lovely interplay of blackberries, black currants, tobacco, leather, toasted oak, and peppercorns. The palate is delightfully rich and complicated, and this is where the true finesse of this wine becomes evident. Ripe black fruits, leather, dried basil and sage, licorice, toasted nuts, vanilla and peppercorn spice combine with the charred oak barrel notes to achieve stunning complexity. This Stone Eagle has an extraordinary balance of flavour, texture and structure. The finish is elegant and lingering, as all the lovely nuances of the wine continue to reveal themselves.