2018 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2018 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon offers flavors and aromas of fresh raspberries, Bing cherries, vanilla, and toasty oak. This Cabernet is very well balanced with soft tannins and has a long lingering finish. This wine is delightful to enjoy now with red meat dishes but will also continue to improve with cellaring for 10 to 20 years.

Tasting Notes and Technical Information

The 2018 vintage was the vintage after the near record rainfall that we experienced in 2017. The vines were primed to produce an exceptional crop. However, Mother Nature intervened again and we received far less than normal rainfall. The total amount of rain did not allowed the vines to sustain the growing season, which led us to thinning the crop. Winemakers like to think that a smaller crop means an increase in quality which, fortunately, we did fully realize this year. This cabernet sauvignon is a very rich wine and has concentrated fruit characteristics. The 2018 is a blend of 91.6% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8.4% Petit Verdot. Grown in the eastern edge of the Napa Valley, the vineyard was planted in 1997 with our recommendations of rootstock, clonal material, row direction, vine density, and trellising system.

The Specs

Blend Composition	91.4% Cabernet Sauvignon Clone #337 and 8.6% Petit Verdot
Harvest Dates	October 23, 2018
Harvest Analysis	26.5 Brix, 3.3 gms/l TA, 3.85 pH
Pre-Fermentation Maceration	7 days @ 55 degrees F
Maximum Fermentation Temperature	88 degrees F
Total Skin Contact Time	34 days
Barrel Aging	20 months in Chateau Style French oak, Medium Plus and Heavy Toast, 100% new
Bottling Date	May 28, 2021
Case Production	99 cases
Release Date	August 1, 2022