Lancaster Estate 2003
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Estate grown, produced and bottled, Lancaster's 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits lush black cherry and plum, accented with cloves, anise, and violets. Soft, supportive tannins provide structure for the rich fruit, and layers of complexity carry over the long finish. Aged 22 months in French oak barrels, the wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered, to retain purity of expression.
Other Vintages
1999-
Robert
Parker
Located at the southern tip of the Alexander Valley, Lancaster Estate rests in the foothills of the western Mayacamas Mountains at the confluence of the Chalk Hill and Knights Valley appellations. Within the rolling hills of this “golden triangle,” an ideal climate of warm days and cool nights combines with the region's myriad soil types to produce red wines of uncommon grace and style.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Home to a diverse array of smaller AVAs with varied microclimates and soil types, Sonoma County has something for every wine lover. Physically twice as large as Napa Valley, the region only produces about half the amount of wine but boasts both tremendous quality and variety. With its laid-back atmosphere and down-to-earth attitude, the wineries of Sonoma are appreciated by wine tourists for their friendliness and approachability. The entire county intends to become a 100% sustainable winegrowing region by 2019.
Sonoma County wines are produced with carefully selected grape varieties to reflect the best attributes of their sites—Dry Creek Valley’s consistent sunshine is ideal for Zinfandel, while the warm Alexander Valley is responsible for rich, voluptuous red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are important throughout the county, most notably in the cooler AVAs of Russian River, Sonoma Coast and Carneros. Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Syrah have also found a firm footing here.