Nose
This classic Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon expresses ripe
blackberry and black currant aromas with a hint of coffee and
warm fruit pie.
Palate
The wine is full-bodied, integrated with a
sweet tannin entry and a firmer, well-structured tannin finish
trailing with a dash of flavorful black tea.
Growing Conditions
While we were replanting our cherished Rutherford Estate
vineyard, the grapes for this Cabernet Sauvignon were grown
in Carpy Conolly vineyard in Rutherford, renowned for
producing single vineyard wines. The vineyard has a Lyre
trellis system pruned to quadrilateral cordons with vines
spaced six feet apart and eight feet between each row. The
maturity of the vines contributes to the concentrated Cabernet
flavors and the rich, well drained, gravelly loam soils are an
essential component to high quality grape growing.
"Classic" and "perfect" are just two accolades being bestowed
upon the 2012 Napa Valley growing season and harvest.
Textbook conditions saw near-ideal spring bud break, steady
flowering, even fruit set, and a lengthy stretch of warm days
and cool nights during the long summer months. Late and
light rains held off until Napa Valley's treasured wine grapes
found optimal ripeness, bringing exceptional quality to the
crush pad and into the cellar.
Winemaking
The grapes were fermented on the skins for 26-40 days with
pumpovers twice daily.
Aging
After fermentation, the wine was
gently pressed, racked and aged 18-20 months in 100% French oak barrels,
with 60% new oak. Tightly grained Taransaud, Demptos, and
Seguin Moreau barrels were selected because of their ability to
slowly impart oak to the wine for a consistent, well-rounded
aging process while yielding subtle oak influences to the
Cabernet Sauvignon.
Food Pairing
Try it with a seared
filet mignon or pan roasted veal chops.
