Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate reflects all the qualities of this very late, cold, rainy harvest in its bold, pungent, savory personality. Harvest did not take place until October 30, exceedingly late by any measure. The 2011 is an attractive wine, but it is on the lighter side relative to most vintages here.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Good full red. Musky, medicinal aromas of plum, dark berries, resin, licorice and underbrush. Silky and sweet in the middle palate, with nicely integrated acidity giving shape to the rather wild flavors of dark berries, leather, cedar and fresh herbs. Finishes with good breadth but the edgy tannins need at least a few years to harmonize with the wine's acidity. The Tognis picked in four days, beginning on October 30, which Philip Togni described as the latest ever, along with the 1998.
Rating: 91+?
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.