Forefront by Pine Ridge Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 2003
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A FOCUS ON QUALITY. Long before Napa Valley became known as the one of the world’s most remarkable winegrowing regions, the Andrus family understood its potential. They founded Pine Ridge winery in the now-famous Stags Leap District. Experimenting with clones, rootstocks and winemaking techniques, they paid meticulous attention to every detail, from vineyard to bottle, and embraced innovation in the pursuit of ever higher quality.
NO BOUNDARIES. After developing Pine Ridge, the Andrus family began to explore other emerging wine regions, from the Pacific Northwest to New Zealand. In Oregon, their Burgundian philosophies brought wine quality to a new level. They adopted the grand cru model, with its emphasis on terroir, and cultivated numerous French clones that they matched to the region’s growing conditions. To provide ideal aging temperatures, they drilled the state’s first underground wine caves. Their forward thinking helped to establish Oregon as one of the world’s premier Pinot Noir producers.
The passion, commitment and adventurous spirit of the Andrus family is well known within the wine industry. With ForeFront, we honor their vision and their contributions with wines that challenge the traditional.
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.
Home to some of the most sought-after Cabernet Sauvignon in America, Napa Valley’s Oakville district stretches across the center of Napa's valley floor and foothills between the Vaca and Mayacamas Mountains. This AVA is home to the legendary To Kalon Vineyard and Martha's Vineyard, as well as many powerhouse wineries including Screaming Eagle, Silver Oak, Robert Mondavi, Opus One, Far Niente and Groth.
The climate is generally warm and agreeable, resulting in year after year of favorable vintages. Summer days see a gentle tug of war between warmer inland air and the cool air coming in from the San Pablo Bay, creating an ideal environment to grow red varieties. Oakville's diverse soils, namely ancient sea bedrock, clay and gravel, are well-drained, and perfect for high-caliber viticulture.
Cabernet here is often bottled varietally but is also popular in Bordeaux Blends. Oakville wines are known for their silky, sensual textures, structured tannins, dark and brooding fruit and lovely aromatics. These age-worthy and prestigious wines are favored by collectors throughout the world.