Tasting Notes:Weaving a plush, silky texture with great balance, this full-bodied wine reveals aromas of ripe red fruit, forest floor, cigar box and vanilla with hints of lavender. The middle is
filled with deep blackberry, baking spice, toasted oak, and a structure of firm, mature tannins. It finishes long with fruit, spice and semisweet chocolate.
Enjoy with grilled ribeye steak, roast duck with Hoisin glaze, or roasted vegetable calzone with Asiago cheese.
Winemaking Notes:• Hand-harvested October 13–25, 2004 in the cool of the morning
• Two-to-three days of cold soaking to enhance color and aromatics
• 10 days of fermentation in small, open-top bins
• Punched down by hand two-to-three times daily for optimum flavor extraction
• Racked every four months to promote development and help soften tannins Aged for 23 months in small French oak barrels
(50% new, Remond, Taransaud and Francois Freres coopers)
• Bottled unfiltered to retain flavor purity
Vintage Notes:The 2004 Santa Cruz Mountains growing season was ultimately successful, but not without some challenging moments.
A warm, dry winter was followed by heat spikes in April and heat storms (hot days and nights) in late August and early
September. The former prompted early budbreak and accelerated sugar development while the latter two retarded the
fruit’s physiological maturation. Consequently, irrigation and cluster thinning were applied to secure a healthy crop. The
unusually hot days, in an otherwise normal summer, resulted in early harvest with low yields. Fortunately, the quality
control regimen allowed the remaining fruit to fully mature and produce well-balanced wines.
Technical Notes: | Appellation: | Santa Cruz Mountains |
| Varietal: | Cabernet Sauvignon 100% |
| Harvest: | October 13-25, 2004 |
| Alcohol: | 14.5% |
| pH: | 3.69 |
| TA: | 0.62mg per 100ml |