Trinchero Cloud's Nest Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2011
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About the Vineyard:High above the Napa Valley floor in the Maycamas Mountains, our Cloud's Nest Vineyard embodies the greatness of the Mt. Veeder appellation. This high altitude vineyard is incredibly steep with gravelly soil, and like all our vineyards, must be patiently farmed by hand. Its' cool, eastern exposure allows for extended hang time, which imbues the grapes with greater complexity and character.
Professional Ratings
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Splendid voluptuous blackcurrant nose, imposing and vibrant. Ripe and powerful palate with a silky structure and velvety tannins. This oozes richness and aristocracy; has magnificent concentration and length.
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Wine Enthusiast
Truffle and dirt arise aromatically from this wine, a structured and juicy offering of red and black berry, tobacco and black tea. Lush and complex, the wine jumps from the glass and is a nice example of the beauty that can be coaxed from a challenging vintage.
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Wine & Spirits
The vines at this gravelly, 13-acre site mostly face east and north, a relatively cool orientation in this cool vintage. Their elevation, 1,500 feet and above the fog line, allowed the fruit to ripen to blueberry and cherry intensity. The tannins, meanwhile, retain an almost oppressive power, their arid grip yielding hints of conifers and herbs. The balance between the tannins and the fruit is impressive, the wine needing several years in the cellar to mellow. (905 cases made)
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A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
Centered at the peak for which it is named, Mount Veeder is Napa’s largest sub-AVA. But even though the entire appellation spreads over 16,000 acres, vineyards cover a mere 1,000. Scattered among Douglas firs and bristlecone pines, Mount Veeder vineyards extend south from the upper elevations of the Mayacamas Mountains—the highest point at 2,400 feet—to the border of the Carneros region. Less than 25 wineries produce wine from Mount Veeder fruit.
Winemaking began early in this appellation. In 1864, Captain Stelham Wing presented the first Mount Veeder wine to the Napa County Fair; it came from today’s Wing Canyon Vineyard. Prohibition, of course, halted winemaking and viticulture wasn’t revitalized until the founding of Mayacamas Vineyards in 1951 and Bernstein Vineyards in 1964.
The Bernstein Vineyards was actually home to the first Petit Verdot in California, planted in 1975. Today most of the Petit Verdot in Napa Valley originates from this vineyard.
Rocky volcanic clay and ancient seabed matter dominate Mount Veeder soils—perfect for Bordeaux varieties. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot enjoy spectacular success. These varieties produce wines rich in brambly blackberry and black cherry fruit with herbal and floral aromatics. Structures are moderate to assertive and wines have great staying power.
Chardonnay from Mount Veeder is lush, full and balanced mineral and fresh citrus flavors.