2008 Joseph Phelps Vineyards Backus Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2008 growing season started out with lower than normal rainfall for the second year in a row and the longest cold and frosty spring recorded since 1971. May brought unusually high temperatures in the midst of bloom during the latter part of the month. Such drastic weather changes lead to imbalances in the vine, especially at this important time in the life cycle, prompting flower fertilization to cease prematurely in some Cabernet Sauvignon clones. Surprisingly, this was a blessing in disguise leading to looser and lighter cluster formation. This natural thinning allowed adequate airflow within the clusters during maturation and also nicely balanced out the crop load on each vine. June, July and August had consistently warm temperatures that led to even and healthy vine development. The overall heat accumulation for September and October was much higher than our nineteen year average by 7 - 17 percent respectively.

The Backus Vineyard grapes were hand-picked during early morning cool temperatures at an average 24.5° Brix and hand sorted. Grapes received 5 days of cold soaking in stainless steel tanks before fermentation followed by extended maceration for up to 48 days, adding deeper color and full mouth feel to the young, concentrated wine prior to aging for 24 months in new French oak produced by Taransaud, Marcel Cadet and Darnajou. Each barrel was carefully selected to highlight the unique characteristics throughout the Backus Vineyard. The wine was bottled in January 2011.

Beautiful aromatics of dried flowers, cassis, blueberry, black cherry and licorice set the stage for the opulent palate of the 2008 Backus Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. Flawless texture, minerality and concentrated flavors create a balanced and intense long finish.