Nose
Expansive boysenberry and cocoa aromas leap from the glass as notes of cinnamon and other baking spices, warm berry jam, vanilla and toasted pecans provide the base notes to this complex Cabernet.
Palate
On the palate, the entry shows dark berry qualities alongside bright, fresh acidity. The fruit is fresh and juicy both at entry and throughout the palate impression, with a closing note of liquid chocolate on the finish.
Growing Conditions
In the 2010 growing season we saw the rainfall return to the Valley, and in Rutherford we saw an increase of over 60% from 2009 (40″ vs. 25″). The rains persisted into late April, and the last significant rain was in late May. The combination of the wet soil with unusually cool temperatures put us a couple of weeks behind normal. This also created high mildew pressure, which persisted all season. We compensated by more than normal leaf removal to open up the canopies, increasing sun exposure. On August 24th and 25th the weather changed dramatically. Fortunately our canopies were adequate to provide enough protection for the fruit from extreme heat. Celia’s call mid-summer to dramatically reduce the amount of fruit was brilliant.
This wine was produced entirely of Cabernet Sauvignon grown on the historic J.J. Cohn Estate in Rutherford, Napa Valley. Only the best sections of the estate were chosen for this wine.
Harvest
Yields across the ranch were less than two tons per acre and harvested at full ripeness between October 11th and 15th insuring the highest quality fruit. The fruit was selectively harvested by hand, then sorted both before and after de-stemming.
Bottling
Bottling in late July 2012. The wine was not fined or filtered.
Winemaking
The wine spent approximately four weeks fermenting on skins before being gently pressed.
Aging
It rested in French Oak barrels for approximately 22 months.
