Wine Notes
Vintage:
2014
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 34 years! Our second vineyard source for the Malbec, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc is located in Yountville, which provides an ideal climate. The Malbec adds color, black fruit aromas and a lush, round tannin profile to the blend. The Petit Verdot adds color, perfume aromas, and mid-palate textures. The Cabernet Franc adds tannin structure. 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, which adds color, texture and structure for aging.
Vintage Notes:
The 2014 growing season began with a moderate spring: not too cold or wet, resulting in a normal fruit set. The bunches were well-filled with some wings as in 2013 when Cabernet clusters were moderately packed and had an occasional wing. The summer was also moderate: warm with a few heat spikes. At veraison there was a thinning or green harvest to remove green or pink fruit. The fall heat was also “normal” and harvest began and continued steadily. Skin and seed maturity was fully achieved. The resulting wines have great color, aromatic fruit profiles, are elegant on the palate, and have fine grain tannins for aging.
Fermentation & Aging:
The grapes were crushed October 7th. The Brix (sugar) was 28.0° and acid was 5.7 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 basket press. The barrel-aging regime was 40% new and 60% 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 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.