Wine Notes
Vintage:
2015
Appellation:
Napa Valley
Vineyards:
This blend is made up of two vineyards. The Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard is between St. Helena and Calistoga, planted in 1974. The soil is Bale Loam, a combination of alluvial topsoil and Napa River cobble, making it rich but well-drained; perfect for Cabernet. Our second vineyard source for the Malbec and Petit Verdot is located in Yountville and also has alluvial soils. This mid-valley site provides and ideal climate; the Malbec adds color, dense black fruit aromas and lush, round tannins. The Petit Verdot adds color, high tone perfume aromatics and mid-palate texture.
Vintage Notes:
The 2015 growing season began with a moderate spring: not too cold or wet, resulting in a normal fruit set. The bunches were well-filled with an occasional wing as in 2014 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 variable, being punctuated by heat spikes that caused Brix to jump unexpectedly. However, 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 September 15th. The Brix (sugar) was 26.0° and acid was 5.7 grams/liter. The must was thoroughly sorted, removing all green “stem jacks”. Fermentation took place in both open and closed-top tanks. The cap was re-integrated three to four times per day. Pressing was very gentle, using a traditional basket press. The barrel-aging regime was 30% new and 70% once-filled French oak using 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.