Winemaker's Notes:
This 2006 Legacy is the sixteenth release of our Bordeaux-style varietal blend.
With this vintage, we selected lots of wine from our estate vineyards in the hills
and eastern mountains enclosing the southern end of the Alexander Valley.
Elevation is the key to this wine's combination of boldness and elegance.
The 2006 vintage of Legacy is led by Cabernet Sauvignon which makes up 86%
of the blend and is from both hillside and mountain vineyards in the Alexander
Valley. The mountain vineyards reach up to 2,400 feet in elevation and are
planted on our Alexander Mountain Estate. Higher altitude creates its own
climate which is different from the vineyards planted on the valley floor. Even
on the warmest summer days, the cooling influence of the Pacific Ocean twenty
miles away can be felt. Soils, too, are significantly different. On the mountain,
the soil is thin, rocky and gravelly. This helps produce fruit that is complex, rich
and concentrated.
The blend is further enhanced by the contributions of Merlot, Petit Verdot
and Malbec fruit sourced from our Legacy vineyards in the Alexander Valley.
We complement the powerful fruit by using only small, thin-staved French oak
barrels to age this wine. The resulting wine is supple and leads with notes of
graphite and black currant. Look also for hints of smoky toastiness and
concentrated black cherries.
86% Cabernet Sauvignon; 10% Merlot; 2% Petit Verdot; 2% Malbec |