Winemaker Notes
Blend: 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Concentrated in tannic layers of vanilla, cassis and sage, this wine offers a sauvage quality of mountain air and power. Its full-bodied ripeness and richness is complemented by a lifted hit of bright acidity that lingers on the finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Blended of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc, the deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain District opens with a cassis, plums and black cherries nose with cedar, dried roses and black soil hints plus a touch of charcuterie. There are plenty of baked berries and earthy layers in the full-bodied mouth, with a chewy backbone and savory finish.
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.
Above the town of St. Helena on the eastern slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains sits the Spring Mountain District.
A dynamic region, its vineyards, cut by numerous springs and streams, vary in elevation, slope and aspect. Soils differ throughout with over 20 distinct types inside of the 8,600 acres that define the appellation. Within that area, only about 1,000 are planted to vineyards. Predominantly farmed by small, independent producers, the region currently has just over 30 wineries.
During the growing season, late afternoon Pacific Ocean breezes reach the Spring Mountain vineyards, which sit at between 400 and 1,200 feet. Daytime temperatures during mid summer and early fall remain slightly cooler than those of the valley floor.
Spring Mountain soils—volcanic matter and sedimentary rock—create intense but balanced reds with lush and delicate tannins. The area excels with Bordeaux varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot and in some cooler spots, Chardonnay.