2007 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

Grape Source: Mt. Veeder, Rubissow-Sargant Vineyard

Vineyard: Mt. Veeder, Rubissow-Sargant Vineyard

Barrels: French Oak

Bottling Date: December 17, 2009

Production: 436 cases (12 x 750ml)

The 2007 vintage in the Napa Valley rewarded those who were patient. Labor Day heat gave way grudgingly to cooler, damper weather - and savvy winemakers who decided to hold out for further ripening in spite of sharply attenuated hours of sunlight in mid- and late-October, and the daily threat of precipitation, found the proverbial pot of gold at the end of the vinous rainbow: gorgeously ripe Cabernet Sauvignon. And so it was on Mt. Veeder, whose lofty flanks catch the very last of those fall rays and transform them magically into near-perfect fruit eminently worthy of this grape. Our 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet owes its provenance to vineyards on this exceedingly special mountain. For added appeal, five percent Merlot from the same vineyard went into the final blend. The wine benefited greatly from 26 months in French oak and from which sweet oak aromas and subtle notes of smoke and crème caramel were gently coaxed. On the palate this wine offers the quintessential Cabernet panoply of flavors: amazingly deep and complex layers of black currant, black cherry, plum and dark chocolate, all supported by a tannic underpinning that will allow it to stand up to the most savory of grilled meats, like a well-spiced tri-tip or a generously fat-marbled rib-eye steak. To be quite honest, it tastes awfully good all on its own - unlike many of its more aggressive and rough-edged brethren.

Grape Source -Mt. Veeder Aging -26 months-- French oak barrels
Chemistry at Bottling -pH: 3.57 -Total Acidity: 6.5 grams/liter
-Alcohol: 14.5% -Free Sulfur Dioxide: 30 parts per million
-Total Sulfur Dioxide: 117 parts per million

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