FROM THE WIRES…
APPELLATION: Sonoma County
VARIETAL: Cabernet Sauvignon
BLEND: 91% Cabernet Sauvignon 4% Cabernet Franc 3% Malbec 1% Merlot 1% Petit Verdot BARREL PROGRAM: Aged 18 months 55% new oak 60 and 70 gallon French oak barrels
UNFINED, UNFILTERED AND UN-ACIDIFIED
VINEYARD: Mix of eastern hillsides that are South and South West facing with a bench land block. Hillside Cabernet vineyard sites, all with mineral-rich volcanic soils, are always the first focus of this blend.
SOIL TYPE: Volcanic For our Cabernet, we specifically work with some of the most unique sites throughout Alexander Valley that focus on well drained, volcanic soils. With little organic material, these soils help to control vigor and growth and increase concentration and complexity in the wine. Many of these unique soils are in the Eastern hillsides of the appellation and display an amazing rich, red color.
WINEMAKER NOTES: All of our fruit is hand harvested and brought into the winery within hours of being picked. Everything is methodically and obsessively sorted. A cold soak of 4-7 days with minimal air incorporation starts the extraction and then cool fermentations with native yeast carry out the remaining. Air and temperature are controlled throughout the 14-28 day fermentation and extended maceration is determined lot by lot when I walk the fine line of full extraction but still keep an elegant and silky texture. Wines go through malolactic fermentation in barrel and are aged (sur-lees) for 18 months. Focusing first on the Cabernet fruit from our mineral-rich, volcanic soil sites nestled on the hillside slopes in the Alexander Valley. This vintage’s blend is uniquely crafted with delicate inclusions of Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and a small hint of Merlot and Petit Verdot showcasing intense black fruits enriched with lengthy velvety tannins. While the significant wildfire challenges of this vintage did not allow us to produce our entire portfolio of wines, the wines we were able to put to bottle were done so with complete confidence and a renewed sense of awe for the delicate balance between unpredictable nature and precise science that our craft is rooted in. — WINEMAKER JESSE KATZ