1995 Cabernet Sauvignon

Recent Tasting Notes

Aromas of plum, dark chocolate and herbs, hint of sweet vanilla. Rich, sweet middle, good tannic (dark chocolate) finish in the mouth.
 

Winemaker's Notes

Ah, the beginning of El Nino…in January we had 27 days of rain, by May we had twice the normal rainfall. This coupled with a cool growing season led to a late harvest with fortunately, no rain. Harvested five weeks after the Chardonnay, the fruit for this wine came from our oldest vineyard planted in 1969, the Old Mill block, and the newer Fox block. Our Cabernet harvest began October 12th and continued through the 24th with the grapes measuring:

To produce a red wine, the juice was fermented with the skins to extract its color and flavor. CO2 gas (a by–product of fermentation) bubbled up 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 alcoholic 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 (80%) and American (20%) oak barrels in our caves, during its first winter, the wine underwent malolactic fermentation which reduced the acidity and added richness. For its second year, the 1995 was aged in oak barrels and tanks. This Cabernet received a light egg white fining to soften its tannins. When bottled in August 1997, it had:

The challenge of El Nino tested our nerve and farming skills and the 1995 Cabernet proves that with careful attention, excellent wine can be made even under adverse conditions. Its youthfulness is evident the instant your pour the wine: ripe raspberries fill the bouquet. Hints of dark chocolate, cinnamon and cedar linger in the background. Its soft entry opens on the palate with sweet vanilla flavors. Like its predecessors, the 1995 Cabernet will develop and mature for at least an additional ten years.

February 2000