Winemaker Notes
For nearly 50 years, Arnold Palmer has commanded the spotlight with his pioneering vision for the game of golf and his involvement in the development of some of the most prestigious golf courses in the world. Today he is collaborating with Luna Vineyards in expanding his portfolio of privately branded offerings to include Arnold Palmer Wines.Aromas of smokey black cherry with underlying notes of toasted warm coffee and cassis. A touch of cedar folds seamlessly into a rich opulent black fruit core. Layers of oak build texture and offer a firm mid palate. The velvety long finish is filled with milk chocolate.
This Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot. Fruit was selected from Napa and Sonoma vineyards for their high concentration of alluvial soils, which produce wines with intense varietal character.
Grapes were hand picked in the early morning, arriving shortly before noon to be crushed and destemmed. The must was fermented at 55 degrees F for 72 hours for enhanced color and structure. For added richness and extraction, the grapes were pumped over twice a day. The wine was gently pressed shortly after the finish of fermentation to help retain the fruit's elegance. The wine spent 15 months in small French and American Oak barrels.
Covering the most vine acreage in the state compared to any other red wine variety, Cabernet Sauvignon produces as much wine in California as Merlot and Pinot Noir combined. The state’s diverse terrain and microclimates, as well as the freedom of its winemakers, allow for an incredible range of wine styles from this single grape.
California’s most famous region—and especially for Cabernet Sauvignon—is the acclaimed Napa Valley. While Cabernet is successful throughout the world, rarely has it achieved such merit as it does from the Napa Valley. At this point the two are so intrinsically linked that it is difficult to discuss one without the other.
Napa’s closest neighbor, Sonoma County, does an impressive job keeping up with Napa’s fame and glory. Alexander Valley, Sonoma Mountain, Moon Mountain and Knights Valley contribute to the lot of some of California’s top-rated Cabernet Sauvignon.
Lake County in California’s North Coast has become a focus for some of Napa’s more respected growers. From the Central Coast come iconic examples of classic California Cabernet; Lodi and the Sierra Foothills are great budget-friendly sources of amicable Cabernets.