Growing Conditions
This wine is composed of the very finest barrels of wine made from Hewitt Vineyard. Typically, we select one or two barrels from at least two or three blocks of vines that consistently produce exceptional fruit. The wines show impeccable balance, supple tannins and highly concentrated flavors. Hewitt Vineyard’s sun exposure and slope promote ideal ripening, while the well-drained, alluvial soils of the Rutherford Bench allow deep rooting for complex flavors. Hewitt Vineyard was planted in 1992 and 1996 and budded to Cabernet Sauvignon clones 4, 7 and 8 for flavor diversity.
Bottling
Bottled without fining.
Winemaking
We hand sorted the grapes on tables twice: first as clusters to remove any leaves or inferior fruit and then, after destemming, as individual grapes. This gentle process retained about 70 percent whole berries. We fermented 60 percent of the must in new French oak barrels to integrate tannins and enhance the plush texture of the wine. Three to five days of cold soaking and 45 days of total skin contact developed the rich varietal character.
Aging
We clarified the wine with four rackings during barrel aging.
