Guenoc Lake County Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
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2011-
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Guenoc Valley lies sixty miles north of San Francisco — a breathtaking panorama of oak-strewn grasslands, rolling green hills, craggy outcroppings and perfect volcanic cinder cones, painted with the shimmer of a dozen azure lakes. The 21,349-acre Langtry Estate is one of the largest contiguous private land holdings in California, and among the most beautiful.
Guenoc wines are sourced from a blend of estate vineyards and premier growing sites from around California. Soils range from rocky volcanic highlands to mountain valleys lined with gravelly riverbeds. The combination of these unique sites allows us to produce wines that exemplify the diversity found in these distinct regions.
Guenoc California wines embody the independent spirit of famed actress and winery founder, Lillie Langtry, who defied the conventions of her time and forged her own path, becoming a Lake County vintner in 1888. The wines are fresh, vivacious, and distinctly California.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
A warm inland area just north of Napa Valley, Lake County represents a new frontier for California winemaking. While Prohibition halted viticulture here just as it did in so many California regions, winemaking activity remained fairly insignificant for a few decades longer than others. Finally in the 1990s Lake County Sauvignon blanc—uniquely savory and fruity—earned the appellation a renewed reputation.
Lake County is comprised of a handful of unique American Viticultural Areas (AVAs).
Vineyards that settle into the hills on the west side of Clear Lake create the Clear Lake AVA and produce good quality Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon blanc and Zinfandel.
Recently the Red Hills AVA, located within the boundaries of the Clear Lake AVA, has become the focus of some of Napa’s more respected growers. Its notable volcanic and obsidian-based soils could be the source of California’s next best Cabernet Sauvignons. Andy Beckstoffer, a leader in recognizing prime Napa Valley vineyard locales, has already invested heavily in the area.
Guenoc Valley AVA produces fine examples of Petite Sirah, recognized for their voluptuous aromas of clove, cocoa, tobacco and deep red and blue berry flavors.
The High Valley AVA sits northeast of Clear Lake. This warm area boasts multiple soil types allowing growers a lot of flexibility and experimentation with grape varieties. While Sauvignon blanc is a mainstay, this zone excels with Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, as well as other less common varieties like Barbera and Tempranillo.