Palate
Dominated by deep flavors of blackberry, dark currant and sweet black cherry with nuances of blackberry jam, toast, cocoa-dusted truffle, cinnamon and clove. Well-integrated oak adds just the right amount of spice. Hints of tobacco and briary thicket on the nose add to this wine’s complexity. This full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon has well-integrated tannins leading to an exceedingly pleasant, fruitful finish.
Growing Conditions
The winter was one of the driest on record for the Napa Valley; however, when we did get rain, it came when the vines needed it most, promoting bud break and new shoot growth. The balance of the season was moderate to warm, the crop was abundant, and the fruit ripened about two weeks early on average. 2014 was a wonderful harvest yielding great wines with immense depth of flavor.
Harvest
Cab Franc 9/9 & 9/16 at 25.9° Brix; Merlot 09/10 at 26.1° Brix; Petit Verdot 9/9 & 9/16 at 26.0° Brix; Cabernet Sauvignon 9/9-9/23 at 25.2° Brix
Bottling
March 2017
Winemaking
5-day cold soak, then fermented in stainless steel fermenters at 75-86°F for 10-28 days of skin contact.
Aging
Barrel aging: 28 months. Barrels: 100% French oak (61% new).
Appearance
Opaque dark ruby.
