Leducq Vineyards Sylviane Cabernet Sauvignon 1999
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The color, tannins and flavors were extracted using traditional Bordeaux techniques and the wine aged for 21 months in small French oak barrels. It was then fined with egg whites and bottled.
The cornerstone of Leducq is the associated 41.5-acre estate vineyard located just north of the town of St. Helena in the Napa Valley. It is a beautifully situated, well-drained, gently sloped parcel planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The front 35 acres of the Ehlers Lane property were purchased in the late 1980s. In 2001 Leducq Vineyards reunited the front acreage with the historic Ehler's Lane winery (Est. 1886) and the northern vineyards.
The vineyard was developed with the help of world famous French enologist, Jacques Boissenot who directed all aspects of vineyard development including vine spacing, trellising systems, clonal and rootstock selections and farming regimes. With the implementation of his winemaking and vineyard programs, Mr. Boissenot established Leducq’s style. In 1999, Leducq Vineyards engaged longtime Napa Valley Winemaker Nils Venge as consulting winemaker. The winemaking team believes in the importance of terroir in the creation of an exceptional wine. The site, soil, climate, variety, clones, yield and berry size all contribute to intensely flavored grapes with ripe tannins. Strict adherence to French winemaking techniques, such as barrel to barrel racking every 3 months and egg white fining to polish the wine, is integral to the creation of Leducq Vineyards' style.
One of the most prestigious wines of the world capable of great power and grace, Napa Valley Cabernet is a leading force in the world of fine, famous, collectible red wine. Today the Napa Valley and Cabernet Sauvignon are so intrinsically linked that it is difficult to discuss one without the other. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that this marriage came to light; sudden international recognition rained upon Napa with the victory of the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1976 Judgement of Paris.
Cabernet Sauvignon undoubtedly dominates Napa Valley today, covering half of the land under vine, commanding the highest prices per ton and earning the most critical acclaim. Cabernet Sauvignon’s structure, acidity, capacity to thrive in multiple environs and ability to express nuances of vintage make it perfect for Napa Valley where incredible soil and geographical diversity are found and the climate is perfect for grape growing. Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that express specific characteristics based on situation, slope and soil—as a perfect example, Rutherford’s famous dust or Stags Leap District's tart cherry flavors.