| Vineyards The grapes for our Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, which is blended with 20% merlot and 2% cabernet franc, come from more than a dozen vineyards stretching from the cool Carneros district in the south to the warm Calistoga region at the northern end of the valley, with the majority from the mid-valley Rutherford appellation. Blending fruit from multiple clones and microclimates enables us to craft a complex cabernet melding the bright cherry/berry fruit characteristic of Napas cooler regions with the intense black-fruit flavors and firm tannins typical of the valleys warmer climes. Vintage 2000 The 2000 vintage featured a cool, even growing season culminating in a classic Indian summer, insuring that our cabernet, merlot and cabernet franc grapes developed fully ripened flavors prior to being harvested at optimum maturity between late September and mid-October. Winemaking After being crushed and cold-soaked for 24-36 hours, each vineyard lot was fermented separately, with 5% whole berry fermentation to accentuate the wines fruity characters. Warm fermentations in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, to fully extract color and flavor, were completed in 7 days, with an extended maceration of 14-21 days to maximize extraction. The free run juice was then drained and transferred to French oak barrels, 65% new. After blending in spring 2001, the wine aged an additional 14 months in barrel before bottling in August 2002. Tasting Notes The 2000 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon displays a dark ruby/scarlet color and a classic Napa Valley cabernet aroma of ripe black cherry and currant fruit. This is enhanced by well-integrated toast and vanilla oak tones. The wines rich, elegant, blackberry, cassis and plum flavors are beautifully structured by ripe, round tannins and persist through a long, fruit-filled finish. Enticing now, this lovely red will continue developing for 5-8 years and will age well up to 12. |
