2015 Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon

Vineyard

Properties: Wurtele, Bales Creek, Gantner
Appellation: Spring Mountain District
Clonal Selections: 7,4,337,169,341
Yields: 1.5-2 tons

Growing Season

The 2015 growing season in Napa Valley started out with unseasonably warm temperatures in the late winter and early spring. This resulted in an early bud break and bloom. Colder temperatures in May (during the peak of bloom) caused uneven fruit set which ultimately resulted in much smaller crop in 2015, compared to both average yields and also the three abundant years that preceded it. As a result, winemakers worked hand-in-hand with vineyard crews and also employed new technologies, like optical sorting, to ensure they picked and crushed only the best quality grapes. The harvest was one of the earliest on record in Napa Valley, beginning on July 22 with the picking of grapes for sparkling wine, and concluding for most all vintners and growers in the valley by mid-October. While ongoing drought was of great concern to farmers around California, Napa Valley received 75% of normal rainfall for the water year, bringing far fewer water concerns for Napa Valley's vintners.
Harvest Date: September 15 and October 5
Harvest Brix: 25.8

Winemaking

Hand harvested, picked at night
Gently de-stemmed and whole berries transferred to stainless steel
Cold Soaked for 48 Hours
Inoculated with D254 yeast and fermented for 21 Days on skins
Free run juice drained from tank, settled for 24 hours, then racked to barrel
Aged 18 months in French Oak barrels, 66% new
Coopers—Nadalie, Orion and Ermitage
Composition—88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet France, 4% Merlot

 Tasting Notes

Dark boysenberry and cassis with plum and mulberry aromas are mingles with bay laurel, cocoa powder, clove and caramel.  Bold and forward fruit tannins greet the palate balanced with ripe acidity and richness on the mid-palate that carries to a long and classicly styled finish.

   
  Cases Produced
§975 cases