This wine displays all of the lush, concentrated red fruit character that has come to define Cabernet Sauvignon from Monitor Ledge. There is a beautiful balance between depth and brightness, with oak-inspired layers of caramel, chestnut and hazelnut complementing mouthwatering flavors of dark cherry, raspberry, red currant and strawberry. A smooth, creamy mid-palate leads to a finish of fruit and sweet spice that showcases the wine’s length and dimension.
Though the 2008 growing season presented certain challenges—from early frosts to drought conditions—a meticulous approach to viticulture and sorting yielded small crops with good concentration, highlighting soft, appealing tannins for our red varietals and bright acidity for our white grapes. A long, moderately cool summer led to a harvest that commenced in mid-August and concluded in early November. This relatively relaxed pace allowed us to pick in numerous passes to ensure quality, often focusing on individual rows or a single side of the vines.
Appellation: Napa Valley
Harvest Dates: September 1—October 17, 2008
Average Sugar at Harvest: 27.0° Brix
Monitor Ledge Vineyard
Varietal Content
96.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3.5% Petit Verdot
Cooperage
100% French oak Chateau-style barrels (60 gallons)
Barrel Aging: 18 months
Age of Barrels: 100% new
Production/Technical Data
Alcohol: 14.5%
.60 g/100ml titratable acidity
10-12 days fermentation at 80°F
pH: 3.57
Bottled: July 2010
Release Date: September 2011