Oberon Cabernet Sauvignon 2003
Cabernet Sauvignon
from Napa Valley, California
winemaker's notes:
Blend: 98.33% Cabernet Sauvignon, .64% Cabernet Franc, .53% Merlot, .48% Syrah
Oberon sourced grapes throughout the Napa Valley appellation to accomplish the desired layering of
flavors in their Cabernet Sauvignon. Blending fruit from classic and emerging appellations,
including Rutherford, Oakville, Stags Leap, Atlas Peak and Wooden Valley, allowed them to take
advantage of both the volcanic hillside soils and the deeper alluvial soils of the Valley floor. With the
diversity of flavors, they were able to create a well-rounded mouthful of wine.
After hand-harvesting, gently de-stemming and crushing, and fermenting in temperature controlled
stainless steel tanks, the wonderful maturity of tannins in the grapes allowed an opportunity to
extend the post fermentation maceration time (skin contact) to 22.6 days on average. Extended juice
to skin contact marries flavor and structure in the Oberon Cabernet Sauvignon giving the wine a
seamless feel. Malolactic fermentation, in barrel, combined with 18 months aging in French oak barrels
concentrates the flavors and adds nuances of vanilla and toffee.
