2014 Red Wine Bel Canto

Ben Smith described 2014 as his hottest vintage ever (at least until 2015 came along), with total heat units for Red Mountain at 3,900, compared to an average of 2,874. The season was essentially three weeks early, with shorter-than-usual hang time, and Smith started picking Merlot on August 24. “The season was a lot like 2008, which also started late and ended early, with a tendency toward tough tannins,” he said, "although the fruit in 2014 has turned out to be sweeter." Smith expressed a slight preference for 2013 over 2014 even if yields were a bit higher in the earlier vintage. “The ’14s are showing more fruit at the same stage,” he noted, adding that “the ‘13s started out more savory and the fruit took longer to come out.” He added that 2014 was a very good vintage for Merlot but that the Cabernet Franc ripened less evenly. The Cara Mia vineyard, which Smith and his wife Gaye McNutt planted in 2004, yielded barely two tons per acre in 2014.