Nose
Fresh baked blueberry pie aromas and rich notes of cracked black pepper.
Palate
Flavors evolve with fruit forward notes, vanilla bean, cacao and a hint of dried tobacco leaf. The wine finishes with integrated tannins that are soft
and supple, accentuating the power and depth of this full bodied Cabernet Sauvignon.
Growing Conditions
The 2020 early growing season was near normal. Rainfall occurred mainly in early
winter and early spring and seasonal totals were just below average. Vine growth and
berry development was typical through spring. Summer brought unusual heatwaves
which slowed berry development, keeping them small with a desirable skin to juice ratio.
October was warm and dry, aiding in fruit maturity.
Harvest
Harvest was condensed as most Paso
Robles Cabernet ripened at the same time with ideal color and flavors.
Bottling
July 2022
Winemaking
The making of Austin Hope Reserve Cabernet begins with small lot fermentations separated
by individual vineyard blocks which receive daily pump-overs for maximum extraction.
These lots are constantly supervised, tasted & analyzed for tannin and anthocyanins in
order to determine optimal length of extended maceration after fermentation.
Aging
Once
drained and pressed, the young wines are barreled down into a combination of 25%
once used and 75% neutral French Oak. In the early Summer of 2021, these lots, already
earmarked for the 2020 Austin Hope Cabernet Sauvignon, are tasted by the winemaking
team to further isolate individual barrels that display exceptional quality and character
for the Reserve program. Once the initial blend was defined, the Reserve wine lots were
aged an additional 9 months in 50% new French Oak. In spring of 2022 the lots were
blended and received an additional 25% new oak. The wine was racked a final time in
June of 2022, just prior to being bottled.
