Maturation
22 months in French oak (75% new)
Palate
This Cabernet Sauvignon has great spice, minerality, notes of blue fruits, toast, and dark cherry that combine with bright floral notes, weight and a wonderful finish.
Vinification
We hand-harvested grapes into lug boxes during cool morning hours, at an average Brix of 26.5. The wine was fermented in stainless steel and then underwent native malolactic fermentation in barrels to round acidity and softly integrate the vanillin character of French oak (75% new). After barrel aging for 22 months, the wine was bottled without fining or filtration.
Vintage Notes
For the 2015 harvest, the weather in late winter and early spring started out unreasonably warm, this unusual weather pattern continued through spring, causing early bud break and bloom in the vineyards. In early May, a cooling trend occurred during fruit set, ultimately driving down yields as much as 30% in some cases. Towards the end of harvest, temperatures on Mt. Veeder stabilized, and the low yielding crop allowed for an earlier than usual finish to harvest, leaving us with incredible quality in the bottle. This is the first vintage we used a little bit of Petit Verdot in blending.
Region Notes
High-elevation winegrowing requires a painstaking, labor intensive approach. Thin, rocky soils and steep slopes make water retention a challenge and erosion a threat, but the vines benefit from the struggle and produce concentrated flavors. The high altitude keeps midday temperatures cooler than those in the valley below, while the position above the fog line gives grapes longer daily exposure to sunlight. This regularly extends the growing season into November, and the increased hang-time results in peak ripeness and full varietal complexity.
