1994 Cabernet Sauvignon
Recent Tasting Notes
Vanilla, cedar, cassis and currants; smokiness/tobacco. Nice smooth entry in the mouth, dark chocolate middle, medium body, elegant.
Winemaker's Notes
Light winter rains, moderate summer temperatures and warm fall days created the ideal growing season which intensified the Cabernet fruit flavors. Harvested five weeks after the Chardonnay, the fruit for this Cabernet came from our oldest vineyard planted in 1969, the Old Mill block, and the newer Fox block. Harvested October 12 through 19, the grapes were crushed, pumped into fermenters and measured:
The color for red wines comes from the grape skins. Unlike white wine production, we ferment the juice with the red skins to extract as much color and flavor as possible. To start fermentation, the must (skins and juice) was inoculated with Pasteur Champagne yeast. CO2 gas (a by-product of fermentation) bubbled through the skins causing them to float to the top and form the “cap”. To insure thorough extraction, we pumped juice from the bottom of the tank and sprinkled it over the cap to increase the wine’s color and flavor.
Two weeks of extended maceration followed fermentation. This Bordeaux tradition of leaving the wine with the skins actually softened the Cabernet tannins. The wine was then drained and the skins pressed. The first year of aging was in French oak barrels and tanks. For its second year, all of the 1994 was aged in barrels in our caves. The grapes for this wine came into the winery with excellent balance-good acidity and soft tannins-so no fining was needed. This Cabernet was bottled in August 1996 when it had:
1994’s near-perfect growing conditions produced excellent fruit; its deep, rich flavors are the backbone of this Cabernet. Ripe raspberries and intense dark chocolate aromas provide a full bouquet that is enhanced by fresh mint and sweet vanilla oak flavors. Our 1994 Cabernet has a soft entry on the palate, round tannins and supple finish ensuring that it will continue to develop well into the next century.
February 1999
