Vineyard

An excellent growing season – good Winter rains followed by a mild Spring and Summer – brought an even-paced harvest. Excitement came September 4-6 when a wildfire burned 12,500 acres in the hills behind the winery. Harvest began on September 29.

Cellar

We produced this red wine by fermenting the juice with the skins to extract their color and flavor. CO₂  gas (a by-product of fermentation) bubbled up through the skins causing them to float to the top and form the “cap”. To ensure thorough color and flavor extraction, we pumped the juice from the bottom of the tank and sprinkled it over the cap throughout fermentation.

Following the Bordeaux tradition of extended maceration, the wine stayed on the skins for another two weeks to soften the young tannins. We then moved the Cabernet into our wine caves where it was aged in French (80%) and American (20%) oak barrels. During its first Winter, the wine underwent malolactic fermentation which lowered its acidity and added richness. In its second year, this Cabernet was aged in both oak barrels and tanks. After many blending trials, we added 5.5% Petit Verdot and 4.5% Malbec to this Cabernet. They gave increased depth and richness to the wine. It was bottled in August 2006.

Drinkability

At a tasting in August 2023, we tasted the 2004 and here are our notes: Fruit richness, blackberry jam, cassis, cigar box, herbes de Provence, black pepper, India ink, roasted coffee beans, leather. Supple, round, chewy. 

At Harvest:

25.3 ° Brix sugar
0.77 g/100 mls TA
3.49 pH

At Bottling:

14.2% alcohol
0.66 g/100 mls TA
3.61 pH