Jarvis Cave Fermented Cabernet Sauvignon 1996

Vintage 1996 began early in the Napa Valley with a wetter than normal winter, an early bud break, and ended with some very hot late-summer temperatures. High in the eastern mountains, at JARVIS, the cool breezes from the Bay Area helped to moderate these high summer temperatures giving us a nearly perfect year for Cabernet Sauvignon. Dimitri Tchelistcheff, our winemaker, was keeping constant watch on the vineyards as brix levels all seemed to peak at once making 1996 the quickest Cabernet Sauvignon harvest in JARVIS history. Yields for this great vintage were slightly lower than average for us. The 1996 JARVIS Cabernet Sauvignon is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Barrel aged in new French oak barrels for 2 years, the intense berry richness of this wine is complimented by a beautiful toasty aroma. The rich concentrated fruit of this spectacular wine shows incredible elegance in its long finish. Just after fermentation this wine received an extended period of skin contact, which moderated the tannin so as to make this wine very drinkable now, and with proper cellaring, this wine will continue to develop beautifully for the next 15 years.

Alcohol: 14% by volume