Tasting Notes

Genesis XI

Layered, balanced, and assertive, Genesis 11 marries the flavors of deep, dark blackberry fruit, pomegranates with a distinct presence of oak, making this flagship red perfect with your favorite steak or all its own.

Also notes of Black Currant, Black Cherry, Licorice, Clove, Caramel, Raspberry, plum & Burnt Toffee.

Genesis is our "flagship" wine and also our best-selling wine! The Miller's eldest daughter Elizabeth named it after the first book of the bible - since it was Yonah's first wine they ever made, and it was their beginning. We source these high-quality grapes mainly from Beckstoffer Vineyards in Lake County, California, to capture the taste and style that the Millers wanted to bring to Georgia.

Genesis XI bottle

Technical Information

Appellation:

100% California - Primarily Lake County, small amount of Lodi & a hint of Howell Mountain

Varietal:

48% Merlot, 24% cabernet sauvignon, 24% Petit Verdot, 4% Malbec

Alc/Vol:  

13.9%

Harvest Date:  

Original Genesis was a 2006 harvest. We add some of the previous Genesis to the next one, so it is considered a NonVintage Wine. 

Bottled: 

June 2021

Cases Produced:

689

Good to Know

These Vineyards produce 3,600 acres of some of the highest quality grapes in the world. Each generation of Genesis is a unique Bordeaux style blend, and technically Genesis 11 would be considered a "Right Bank Bordeaux."

To find the blend for Gen 11, Tristen tasted through 95 barrels to find the best of best--also known as "barrel select". Only 32 barrels made the cut.

Gen 11 is made from 3 different vintages, 2015 (10%), 2016 (50%) and 2017 (40%), and aged in majority French oak along with a little Hungarian thrown in to aid in mid-palate mouthfeel.

This is one of a more unique blend for our flagship wine. The Genesis 10 was intended to be a Cabernet powerhouse (58%) to celebrate our 10th rendition, where for Genesis 11 we have gone back to the Merlot dominant blend of the past.

However, for the first time, Petit Verdot became a much heavier portion that really encompasses without overpowering. We always put a previous barrel of Genesis into the next years (similar to what they do with Champagne), and we may have accidentally added one barrel of 2015 Totem to the mix. Shhhh.