Winemaker Notes
In describing this wine, words like lush, rich, dense and concentrated come readily to mind. Hearty. A wine that can bring out the best in grilled game and fish, same as it can with other bold dishes like stews and extravagantly seasoned red-sauce pastas.
Ray's Station decided to add some Syrah, Merlot and just a small amount of Cabernet Franc to this wine to bring about spicy aromatics and plump up the mid-palate. They also aged the wine in small oak barrels, which encouraged cedar and vanilla fragrances to develop.
What they ended up with is a dark, ruby-red wine with a fruit-driven nose that hints at black cherry, plums, exotic spice and vanilla. On the palate, the fruit is balanced by tannins that are approachable. Look for a lingering vanilla oak sweetness.
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.
Reaching up California's coastline and into its valleys north of San Francisco, the North Coast AVA includes six counties: Marin, Solano, Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake. While Napa and Sonoma enjoy most of the glory, the rest produce no shortage of quality wines in an intriguing and diverse range of styles.
Climbing up the state's rugged coastline, the chilly Marin County, just above the City and most of Sonoma County, as well as Mendocino County on the far north end of the North Coast successfully grow cool-climate varieties like Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and in some spots, Riesling. Inland Lake County, on the other hand, is considerably warmer, and Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc produce some impressive wines with affordable price tags.