Nose
Our Sunny Slope Cabernet Sauvignon is a succulent wine filled with sweet and spiced aromatics. Black cherry, dark chocolate and tobacco emanate from the glass and fill the nose.
Palate
Concentrated flavors of dark plum, black cherry, spice and herbs are bold and richly layered. Its soft, smooth entry gives way to grippy tannins mid-palate, giving the feeling of crushed velvet. These well-structured tannins and balanced acids give this wine a nicely polished, lush, lanky finish.
Growing Conditions
Sunny Slope Vineyard’s vines were planted in holes drilled or pick-axed out of fractured stone over 30 years ago. The deep roots – a result of maturity and years of laboring for water – combine with the warm southwest exposure, produce thick-skinned grapes which give us the concentrated flavors, inky color and extracted tannins that distinguish this vineyard. Cabernet Sauvignon thrives in the rocky soil of the Sunny Slope Vineyard; as the vines expend most of their energy reaching deep into the ground for water, the vigor of the vine is held in check. The warm Glen Ellen location allows our Cabernet Sauvignon to grow to full maturity while maintaining a desirable low yield.
Located in the eastern foothills of the Mayacamas Mountains, the Cabernet Sauvignon selected for this wine is grown in an area of the Sonoma Valley that obtains southwestern sun exposure. The vineyard’s positioning and warm location allow for maximum sunlight exposure, which results in grapes with complex and fully developed dark fruit flavors.
Winemaking
This wine underwent maceration in an open top fermenters on skins to build body and mouthfeel in order to compliment the dark berry fruit.
