Vineyard

Drought conditions continued in 2009 with few Winter rains and warm temperatures. Rain finally came in May. Summer temperatures were ideal for grape growing--cool nights and warm days--allowing grapes to ripen slowly and maximize flavor. We were able to pick all of our Cabernet in just one day, right before the rains hit. Harvest was on October 11.

Cellar

This red wine was produced by fermenting the juice with the skins to extract their 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 ensure thorough color and flavor extraction, we pumped juice from the bottom of the tank and sprinkled it over the cap throughout the fermentation.

Following the Bordeaux tradition of extended maceration, the wine stayed on the skins for another two weeks to soften the young tannins. We then moved the Cabernet into our caves where it was aged in French (80%) and American (20%) oak barrels. During its first Winter, the wine underwent malolactic fermentation which lowered its acidity and added richness. In its second year, this Cabernet was aged in both oak barrels and oak tanks. After many blending trials, we added 2% Petit Verdot and 4% Malbec to this Cabernet to increase the wine's depth and richness. We bottled it in August 2011.

Drinkability

At our Annual Vertical Tasting in February 2024, we tasted the 2009 and here are our notes: Violets, raspberries, ripe plums, Fraises des bois, forest floor, India ink, leather, roasted coffee, Bresaola, Niçoise olives. Long, chewy dark chocolate finish.

At Harvest:

24.8° Brix sugar
0.70 g/100 mls TA
3.42 pH

At Bottling:

14.4% alcohol
0.58 g/100 mls TA
3.74 pH