Nose
Aromas of dried herbs, lavender, fresh boysenberry and lanolin join flavors of dark fruit led by figs, black cherry, and currants.
Palate
This approachable and delicious Cabernet Sauvignon is a generous Bordeaux blend, with soft and silky tannins and a plush, full mouth-feel. Although this wine is built to age and develop further complexity, the generous and juicy upfront fruit makes it extremely enjoyable in its youth.
Growing Conditions
The 2018 vintage proved to be of high quality and produced above average yields. The year began with abundant rainfall throughout the winter. Spring weather was mild, with bud break and flowering occurring later than usual but under ideal conditions. This resulted in plentiful and an even fruit set throughout the growing season. Summer brought generous sunshine days along with the typical cool, marine influenced evenings and early mornings. The relatively mild summer, with no major heat spikes, created near-ideal conditions to allow the grapes generous hangtime to achieve optimum flavor complexity and a gradual rise in sugar level. Harvest started under mild October conditions and continued through early November.
Located 17 miles northwest of the winery, Knights Valley vineyard is approximately 600 acres, and has rocky, well-drained soils that are perfectly suited to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.
Winemaking
To maintain the unique characteristics of the different lots from varying areas of the vineyard, each is monitored carefully through the vinification and aging process. Extended maceration created larger tannins to enhance the lush mouthfeel of the blend and extracted a maximum of color, aromas and flavors.
Aging
The wines were then aged in French oak barrels (25% new) for 16 months and underwent malolactic fermentation for further development of texture and mouthfeel.
Food Pairing
The pronounced oak spice notes work well with the more traditional Knights Valley tones of black olive, wild sage and mocha. The wine is well- balanced with good acidity, structured tannins and a superbly elegant finish.
