2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Red Blend

Wine Notes

Vintage:
2011

Appellation:
Napa Valley

Vineyards:
This blend is made up of two vineyards. Our oldest Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard is on Mt. Veeder at 1400 feet elevation, having a southwest exposure. The soils are uplifted sedimentary clays. This vineyard is owned by Dr. James Konrad and has provided our core Cabernet for more than 31 years! The wine has an intense black fruit profile with mature, structured tannins. Our second vineyard source for the Malbec and Petit Verdot is located on the valley floor in Yountville which provides an ideal climate for both varieties: warm days and cool nights. This Malbec adds color, black fruit aromas and a lush, round tannin profile to the blend while the Petit Verdot adds a high tone, almost floral component, along with big, yet round, rich, tannins like the Malbec.

Vintage Notes:
The 2011 growing season started off well with a moderate spring: not too cold or wet, resulting in a “normal” fruit set. The summer was also moderate: warm but not hot. At veraison there was a judicious thinning or green harvest to remove green or pink fruit. The fall heat was also moderate and harvest began normally but in October we had two soaking rains; the first about 4 inches, the second close to 6. We recovered nicely from the first rain with sunny, fruit maturing weather. But the second rain forced our hand to pick. Fortunately, skin and seed maturity was almost fully achieved at both vineyard sites. The resulting wines have good color, black fruit profiles, are elegant on the palate, and have fine-grain tannins for aging.

Fermentation & Aging:
The grapes were crushed October 23 and 28th. The Brix (sugar) ranged from 22.8 to 24.2 and acids ranged from 4.5 to 6.1 grams/liter. The must was thoroughly sorted, removing all green “stem jacks”. Fermentation took place in open-top tanks and punched down (pigeage) 3 to 4 times per day. Pressing was very gentle, using a traditional wooden basket press. The barrel-aging regime was 35% new and 65% once-filled French oak using Chateau-Ferre style barrels that were very tight grain. The staves were air-dried for 30 months and received a medium toast level. This combination of factors allows the oak to seamlessly integrate with the wine giving a supportive, background structure with fine-grain tannins, along with toasty oak nuances in the aroma and flavor profiles.