Wine Notes
Vintage:
2013
Appellation:
Napa Valley
Vineyards:
This blend is made up of three 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 33 years! The wine has an intense black fruit profile with mature, structured tannins. Our second vineyard source for the Malbec is located on the valley floor in Yountville, which provides an ideal climate. This Malbec adds color, black fruit aromas and a lush, round tannin profile to the blend. Our third vineyard source is the Talmage Bench just east of Ukiah in Mendocino County. This bench has long, very warm days in summer, perfect for maturing Petite Sirah, a long cycle variety.
Vintage Notes:
The 2013 growing season bega well with a moderate spring: not too cold or wet, resulting in a normal fruit set. The bunches were loosely to well-filled with no wings as in 2012 when Cabernet clusters were very densely packed and had one or even two wings. The summer was also moderate: warm with a few heat spikes. 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 and continued normally. Skin and seed maturity was fully achieved. 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 5th. The Brix (sugar) was 29.0° and acid was 5.0 grams/liter. The must was thoroughly sorted, removing all green “stem jacks”. Fermentation took place in open-top tanks and punched down (piegage) 3 to 4 times per day. Pressing was very gentle, using a traditional wooden basket press. The barrel-aging regime was 30% new and 70% 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.