Palate

This broad, muscular wine displays classic fruit characters of dark berries,
currants and briar fruit complemented with delicious notes of violets and sweet spice. Elegant threads
of graphite and crushed rock minerality weave through the mass of ripe fruit and provide further
dimension and complexity to the wine. Exceptionally rich and concentrated, the 2010 Schrader is a
tower of Cabernet power with enormous structure and firm, grippy tannins that amply support the
intense fruit core.

Growing Conditions

The 2010 growing season began cool and wet, and by early summer we knew harvest would be delayed by as much as three weeks. Growers around the valley feared the cooler season would not allow the grapes to fully ripen so many, including us, made early thinning passes through the vineyard to reduce the crop load and concentrate the vines’ energy. While it was the right thing to do, the decision of when to thin and by how much proved critical as the Napa Valley sweltered under a late August heat spike which saw temperatures climb above the 110 degree mark. We were fortunate, as our vines handily endured the extreme weather and the clusters showed little evidence of sunburn or shrivel. Following this one significant heat event, we enjoyed an extended spell of warm, Indian summer weather that carried through until early October. The ideal conditions allowed the clusters to gain optimal ripeness and maturity.

Winemaking

Clones: 4, 6 and 337

Vineyard:
Beckstoffer To Kalon

Aging

Aged 20 months in rare Darnajou French oak barrels