Gallo of Sonoma Stefani Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon 1998
Cabernet Sauvignon
from Sonoma County, California
winemaker's notes:
This top seller sports intense cassis and black cherry aromas complimented by cedary, spicy flavors in the finish. If only all Sonoma Cabernets were this affordable and delicious!
Originally planted by the Stefani family at the turn of the century, this vineyard is located in the heart of the Canyon Valley, a southwest-northeast corridor connecting Sonoma County's Dry Creek and Alexander Valley. Here, soils consist of as much as 30% gravel and small stones; a combination of Pleasanton and Clough series.
Cabernet Sauvignon grapes for this wine were 100% Estate Grown and hand harvested. To intensify varietal character, we employed site-specific vertical trellising, and meticulous shoot and leaf removal to ensure that grape clusters received just the right amount of sunlight exposure for optimal ripening.
The hand harvested clusters were de-stemmed but not crushed, to increase the percentage of whole berries in the fermenter and reduce the potential for bitter tannin extraction. Once dry, the wine was aged in French, European and American oak barrels for an average of 24 months to enhance bouquet, flavor, and body.
The wine completed malolactic fermentation, and was bottled unfined and with minimal filtration
User Reviews
The top 3 most liked reviews for this wine.
A Customer - North Carolina
I loved drinking this wine. It reminded me of visiting the Napa and Sonoma valleys and discovering in their wonderful restaurants these incredibly yummy, unintimidating and hate to see that bottle empty jewels from the local wineries. The frustration for those of us in the East, of course, is that they never have to ship those bottles outside of the area, so you never see them again. This one is that good--and they let it leave CA! Grab it before the guards find out!
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