Immediately striking about the red wines of Garden Creek's portfolio is their date of release: no sooner than 5 years from their respective vintages.  This extends the benefit of bottle age significantly longer than the industry average, affording the wines upon release a level of complexity and nuance that only those additional years of cellaring can impart.

Undoubtedly, the softening effect of this aging is in part responsible for another unique aspect of these wines: their prominent core of smooth, creamy, and almost savory dark red berry fruit.  The profile around that core varies with the vintage, as does the balance in the percentage of the three grape varieties going into the propriety red blend: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc.

• 2002 Tesserae: Pronounced aromas of blackberry, black pepper, and mocha that come through on the palate with a round and savory quality, a rich mouthfeel, fine-grained tannins, and a long, slightly spicy finish.
• 2003 Tesserae: Pronounced aromas of blackberry, vanilla, mocha, and purple flower (perhaps lavendar) that come through on the palate with a round and savory quality, a rich mouthfeel, velvety tannins, and a long finish.