82% cabernet sauvingnon, 11% merlot, 7% petit verdot. 

Medium weight, very fine and balanced tannins, and fruit forward with subtle herbaceous and floral notes. We decided to label this wine as a "Tributary" because it has "only" 89% Mount Alto fruit, with the other 11% coming from the Grace Estate vineyards in Crozet. This is the first time we've ever worked with fruit outside of the slopes of Mount Alto, but when we got the chance to nab some merlot tended by the skilled and passionate hands of Robbie Corpora and his crew of artisan farmers, we had to jump on it. We positively adore Virginia merlot, and Robbie's team, like ourselves, are one of a growing group of farmers who are eliminating the use of herbicides and tillage, with the end result being enhanced fruit quality in addition to reduced erosion and chemical inputs. The cabernet and petit verdot from the 2022 vintage have a ton of depth, and supply super fine tannins, the product of a gentle growing season punctuated by near-perfect harvest conditions: sunny and 75 degrees Fahrenheit for a week straight prior to harvest.  Though it is a small amount, the merlot adds an extra dimension to an already fruit packed mix, bringing a bit of blueberry to our normal black-cherry-cola and anise profile. We honestly think this is one of those wines that is ready to drink now, and will continue to get better for another 5+ years, but there's only one way to find out. 315 bottles produced.