Nose
, has rich, ripe cherry, cassis and
blackberry fruit aromas.
Palate
Soft tannins and sweet oak combine with a gentle
hint of pepper and spice to yield a full-bodied wine with excellent balance and
a long lingering finish. The four different Cabernet clones give the wine a
multi-layered dimension to the palate. The long growing season at the
Truchard Vineyard in the cool Carneros district yields grapes with deep color
and great natural acidity. The Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard on the Conn
Creek alluvial fan adjacent to Caymus in Rutherford delivers classic mid-valley
fruit and supple tannins and “Rutherford Dust” earth flavors. The Petit Verdot
adds depth to the color and a tannic richness, while the Merlot and Cabernet
franc bring softness and fruit respectively.
Growing Conditions
The 2003 vintage followed an extremely challenging, yet rewarding growing season. The wettest April on
record and late season, September heat spikes contributed to lower overall yields, but produced a vintage with
high quality, great color concentration, and intensity of flavors. A long, cool summer allowed fruit flavors to
evolve ahead of sugar accumulation, and we harvested beautifully mature fruit in mid-September.
Aging
18 months in 81% French 19% American Oak
Appearance
deep ruby in color
