St. Francis Cabernet Sauvignon 1999

The grapes for our Cabernet Sauvignon orginate from four different vineyard areas within Sonoma County, each of which contribute distinctive and individual qualities to the finished wine.

Harvest for this late ripening varietal takes place from October through early November. The grapes are hand-harvested and crushed into temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. Fermentation takes place over a period of eight to fifteen days. The different lots are racked into new and one year old American and three year old French oak barrels for an aging period of 14 to 16 months. At the end of the aging process the blend is assembled without filtration. The wine is then bottled and held for four to eight months prior to release.

St. Francis' winemaker, Tom Mackey has created a Cabernet of classsic Sonoma style emphasizing rich varietal character and body. The structure is firm and well-balanced, with excellent depth and supple generous tannins.