Climate: The Napa Valley is famous for its warm days and cool nights, maintaining good natural acidity while the ripeness levels rise. The Eastern hills are above the fog in the morning, receiving direct sun early and all through the day. The hillside soils make for thick skinned cabernet berries.
Winemaking Notes: We fermented this Napa Valley Cabernet using hand punch downs and gentle pumpovers; then transferring some to French oak for aging. The biggest structured, most powerful lots were put into new French oak for aging to balance the tannins and extract the rich flavors from the barrique. Some lots that would benefit from the softening effect of time in oak were put into French barrels that were used to age Hundred Acre. By carefully blending the different lots – varying oak types and different vineyard lots – we created a balanced and complex wine.
Tasting Notes: Beautiful deep garnet color. Aromas of blackberry, cassis, violets, cedar, tobacco, and hints of minerals and graphite. Sweet, densely packed and creamy in the mouth, but with firm, underlying structure that gives lift to the dark berry, chocolate, and coffee flavors. This is a very lush, soft, complex wine that coats the palate and spreads out on the long, lingering finish.
Wine Facts:
~ 100% Napa Valley
~ 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.
~ Alc. 13.5% by volume
~ Bottled July 20
