Winemaker's Notes:
The quintessential Napa Valley Mountain Vineyard blend, grapes for this wine come from Atlas Peak, Mt. Veeder, Spring Mountain and Howell Mountain. As harvest approaches, Atlas Peak's winemaking duo walks the vineyards – picking at full ripeness. Grapes are harvested by hand and delivered in 1/2-ton bins.
After destemming, the berries are again hand sorted to ensure only berries reach the fermentation tank. The grapes are fermented in small lots to capture the essence of each vineyard site. Grapes are cold soaked for up to 2 days before fermentation, and maceration is extended up to 30 days to extract maximum color and flavor.
Drawing from each mountain site, the Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is rich with ripe dark fruits and blueberries, overlaid by subtle vanilla bean aromas. Well structured, with supple tannins.
"A beautiful Cabernet that shows a firm structure of acids and tannins, with perfectly ripened fruit that seduces the palate but doesn't go overboard. Floods the mouth with black currants, black cherry pie filling and cedar flavors, but stays firmly dry and balanced. Now through 2012." 91 Points
Wine Enthusiast
February 2009
"Impressive in its mix of perfectly cast fruit, inviting notes of complexity from minerals to loamy soils to hints of dark chocolate, this full-bodied wine is both supple and solid on the palate, and its lengthy flavors of cassis, cola, ripe cherries, fudge and dried wild flowers follow through handsomely. Tannin and acid tighten the wine in the finish and encourage four to eight years of quiet cellar aging." 91 Points
Connoisseur's Guide to California Wine
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