Wine Profile
Vineyard Notes
5 Napa Valley appellations
Production Notes
Varietal Content - 76% Cabernet Franc, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot Cooperage
100% French oak, Chateau-style barrels (60 gallons) - Barrel Aging: 15 months - Age of Barrels: 60% new, 40% second vintage
Winemaker Notes
This wine is one of my favorite wines of the vintage, filled with pure, focused Cabernet Franc aromatics of red currant, cherry, raspberry, spearmint and lavender bloom. The red fruit flavors continue on the palate, where they are complemented by elements of mulberry, volcanic ash, roasted chestnut, tobacco leaf and graham cracker. These flavors, combined with a beautiful texture, linger and leave a lasting impression.
Production
From our first Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc blocks to our final red-varietal Estate picks, our 2009 harvest spanned more than two months. Though the 2009 growing season presented certain challenges—from early shatter to late-season rain—a thoughtful response in the vineyards yielded smaller-than-normal crops of high-quality fruit. This response included aggressive leafing, an early thinning protocol and a heavy field sort to select only the most desirable grapes.
Other Notes
Release Date: May 2012
