2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, 3L

Bright purple aromas of boysenberry, mulberry, and warm summer briars invite a closer look at this fully ripe Cabernet.  Plush and satiny at entry, the purple fruit flavors are enveloped in mocha, vanilla and warm spice tones in the mid-palate, where the concentration of texture and the fine-grained tannins combine to create a palate impression of sweet and savory tones.  At the finish, the slightly softer acidity leaves an impression of juicy baked plums and warm berries.

In 2014, California entered its third year of drought.  Our vineyards experienced only a handful of small later-winter storms that happily gave our grapevines at least a sip of water with which to power our early season growth.  A relatively mild summer meant that our fruit was able to ripen slowly and completely, and the very dry soils created a harvest with overall smaller and slightly drier grapes.  This is evidenced in the intense color and concentrated flavor of our 2014 Cabernet.  Harvested between September 11 and October 13, the fruit was hand-harvested, sorted, destemmed and sorted again, then fermented on skins in small batches for about 24 days.  The new wines were then transferred to small French oak barrels (70% new) for approximately 21 months of barrel age before bottling without the use of fining or filtration.