Nose
This tried-and-true Cabernet has been a dinner table staple for more than 40 years. A rich ruby hue fills the glass along with aromas of fresh vanilla, lush red fruit and herbaceous nuances.
Palate
On the palate, bright cherry notes mingle with warm cocoa and sweet oak. The finish is unbelievably smooth with soft, gorgeous tannins.
Growing Conditions
We source our Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon from seven of the eleven districts in the AVA. The Paso Robles Highlands district is predominant, where ancient seabed calcareous soils are integrated with gravely soils. Other contributing vineyards lie in the Estrella district, with its loamy and gravely river plain slopes and canyons, the San Juan district situated on ancient river plains derived of loamy soil sand the Creston district located on ancient high river plains with gravely and loamy soils.
Harvest
The 2022 growing season was slightly warmer than average temperature throughout. While generally mild in spring with few frost events, the summer months were mild with unusually long heat events lasting five to seven days. Veraison was fairly mild and berries quickly matured. Early September saw very warm temperatures for an extended period. This rapidly increased brix and grapes were harvested about a week earlier than normal.
Winemaking
Our Cabernet Sauvignon is harvested and fermented individually by vineyard lots and
then barreled into a combination of French and American oak barrels, 10% of which are new. Initially blended in winter of 2023 – 2024, the 2022 Liberty School Cabernet was aged in oak a total of 20 months. The wine is racked twice during barrel-aging and gently filtered just prior to bottling in July of 2024.
