Goldschmidt Vineyard Vyborny Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 1999
-
Wine
Spectator
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
The Vyborny Vineyard An exclusive 5 acres of vineyard terraces on a small knoll in the heart of the California's famed Alexander Valley. Excellent soils and optimal cluster exposure in this unique vineyard produces elegant, full-bodied wines with supple tannins balanced with power and weight reminiscent of the great estates around the world.
Great vineyards are normally balanced, produce smaller than average size berries and produce vines that expose the cluster to the sun uniformly in each vintage. Our site is unique in that it allows for a very long hang time between flowering and harvest. It allows the vine to maximize flavor and tannin development leading to a very rich, and yet supple, wine. The 1999 vintage was classic in that we had a very long period of warm dry weather well into October, when the grapes were harvested.
Professional Ratings
- Wine Spectator
Other Vintages
2005-
Wine
Enthusiast
Yolyn and Nick Goldschmidt are owner/vintners, and Nick is the winemaker. The winery offices are located in Healdsburg. Both originally from New Zealand, Yolyn and Nick have spent time living and working in the wine areas of New Zealand, Australia and South America.
Their focus is Cabernet Sauvignon from two prestigious vineyards in Northern California — Vyborny Vineyard, located on the northeastern slope in the Alexander Valley, and Game Ranch, located on an old river bottom on the eastern bench of the Silverado Trail. Both showcase the optimum silhouettes of Cabernet Sauvignon from Alexander Valley and Napa Valley.
The rolling hills and gentle slopes near the town of Sebastopol were once home to apple orchards filled with songbirds. By the early 1990’s though, most of the orchards were replanted with grapes. The factors that define a quality Chardonnay vineyard are numerous, but Nick Goldschmidt believes matching varietal and rootstock to the right vineyard site yields the most flavorful grapes.
High quality grapes grow only under certain optimum soil conditions, including a balance of nutrients within certain clays. These clay minerals play a critical role, as they can retain water and act as harbors for nutrients better than other soil types. Clays that offer slow nutrient transfer to grape vine plants are preferred. The highest quality grapes grow on the fine-grained, shallow marine quartz sandstones of the Wilson Grove Formation, where Singing Tree is located. These formations tend to produce soils that are well balanced in nutrient content and water retention.
While Sonoma County is acclaimed—and rightfully so—for its Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, and Zinfandels, it also produces exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon. Of the region’s 18 American Viticultural Areas, only a handful produce top-notch Cabernet Sauvignon. These appellations include Alexander Valley, Knights Valley, Sonoma Valley and Dry Creek Valley. Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignons made in these appellations can offer a complex array of aromas and flavors. Fruit notes such as blackberry, blackcurrant, cassis, black cherry and raspberry often are accompanied by hints of graphite, dusty earth, cigar box, toast and vanilla. The varietal has a rich history in Sonoma, and some of these Cabernet Sauvignons and Cabernet-based blends rival the best from Napa Valley.