Tasting Notes & Food Pairings:
Our 2017 Vine Hill Ranch cabernet sauvignon is an intense, full-bodied wine with aromas of blackberry and boysenberry accented by notes of dark chocolate and stone. The deep, dark fruit extends over an opulent palate supported by a firm tannin structure, and then on into a dense, powerful finish. This wine is ready to enjoy now but will age very well for another decade in the bottle. We enjoy it with classic cabernet sauvignon pairings like lamb chops, short ribs or char-broiled steak.
Vineyards:
The grapes for this cabernet sauvignon are sourced from three special blocks of vines grown from two distinctive cabernet sauvignon clones. They are planted on the renowned Vine Hill Ranch in the western benchlands of Oakville. Oakville's mornings are cool and foggy, but the afternoons are warm and dry: Perfect conditions for Cabernet Sauvignon with well-balanced structure of acidity and tannin. Deep loamy soils with mature vines produce powerfully intense wines. We have a long-standing relationship with this grower—since 1982—and Vine Hill grapes consistently produce singular, long-lived wines. The fruit is hand-harvested at night to ensure freshness and varietal purity. In the cellar, we ferment and barrel age each of the three vineyard blocks separately. Once we assess the individual attributes of each block, we blend to create a wine that honors its terroir with intensity and complexity.
Vintage:
After several years of drought, we were happy to see ample rainfall in Napa Valley during the winter of 2017. Cool spring weather gave us ideal conditions for flowering and “berry set”—when each tiny flower turns into a young grape. Temperatures were moderate through the summer, for slow, even ripening. Toward harvest, the temperatures turned warmer, delivering small clusters with tremendous varietal character and balanced acidity.
Winemaking:
Our winemaker uses traditional approaches in the cellar to bring out the special character of fruit from Vine Hill Ranch. After the grapes are gently destemmed and crushed, the must (unfermented juice and skins) from each of the three vineyard blocks is cold-soaked in small, closed-top, stainless steel tanks for 48 hours to extract color, aromas, flavors and fine tannins. The wine is then fermented in the same tanks with a cultured French yeast strain. Extended skin contact after fermentation fully extracts color and flavor, and softens tannins. This powerful cabernet sauvignon is aged for 22 months in French oak barrels (61% new).
- Grape Variety: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
- Alcohol Content: 14.9%
- Total Acidity: 0.66 G/100ml
- pH: 3.56
- ** Only 3 in Stock **