Nose
Aromas of blackberry, black currant, and cassis combine with dark cocoa and toasted oak.
Palate
On the palate, flavors of plum, raspberry, and blackberry compote mingle with attractive elements of mocha and toasted barrel maturation. A structured yet elegant cabernet sauvignon.
Growing Conditions
An extreme winter in 2017 left our lakes full, which was welcome after several dry years. This groundwater primed the vineyards for what turned out to be another excellent harvest. Early spring saw lovely days with May quickly warming up. The summer experienced several heat spells and caused the vineyards to accelerate their ripening, while conditions remained dry.
- Rutherford Estate Vineyard
- Dollarhide Estate Vineyard
Harvest
Cabernet Sauvignon harvest kicked off on September 20, 2017. The fruit was hand-harvested in the cool morning hours and brought to the winery in half-ton bins.
Bottling
July 9-19, 2019
Winemaking
At the winery, the clusters were sorted using a double sorting system. First, the clusters were sorted by hand. Then, individual berries were sorted to ensure that only ideal grapes were chosen. These berries were delivered to a fermenter for a period of resting on skins. Warm fermentation temperatures were encouraged along with gentle cap maceration to achieve the desired color and structure before an extended maceration time on skins prior to final pressing. The wine was transferred directly to barrel for 20 months of maturation.
Aging
100% French oak (32% new French oak) for 20 months
Appearance
Opulent red hues present in this wine.
Food Pairing
- Cabernet Miso Braised Pork Belly
- Grilled Flat Iron Steak with Heirloom Tomatoes
