2006 Moraga Red
Winemaker’s Tasting Notes 

We rarely experience the wild swings in weather that influence the quality of vintages in other wine-producing regions and the 2006 growing season for Moraga proved to be no exception.  The pervious winter provided plenty of rain, so we began the year with the soil at full water-holding capacity with no need for irrigation until quite late in the year.  There were no real outliers to the weather patterns that we have come to expect over two decades of farming Moraga.  A warm June helped optimize flowering and fruit set, laying the tone for the balance of the year.  Moraga saw mild temperatures and the normal coastal overcast that keeps things from overheating and allows great flavor development without the excessive sugar accumulation so often seen in other grape-growing areas of California.  October was slightly cooler than normal with lots of coastal overcast, allowing us to pick our grapes at their absolute optimum. 

The 2006 vintage may well be our favorite to date for red wine.  The nose is beautifully perfumed with seamlessly integrated oak, cinnamon spice, cigar box, and predominantly red fruit.  This exquisitely balanced, though rather extroverted bottling, brims with layers of black current, tobacco, chocolate and the core of minerality common to all of Moraga’s wines.  The 2006 Moraga Red wine is complex and complete, possessing and unusual degree of density and concentration without heaviness and a loss of finesse.  This wine has an elusive, extraordinary balance between power and elegance, great viscosity in the texture, superbly fine-grained tannins, and a persistent finish that goes on and on.

We think that the 2006 bottling of Moraga Red Wine is a great example of what this superb site has to offer.  With terroir that is absolutely unique in the world of great wines, our objective has always been to produce the best wine that accurately showcases the sense of place that is Moraga.  We are proud to offer you this wine – it is a perfect reflection of the team’s extraordinary effort in a truly singular vineyard.

Tom Jones, Proprietor 
Scott Rich, Winemaker
Carlos Contreras, Vineyard Manager