Winemaker Notes
While Cabernet Franc has been ascendant in terms of its percentage of the overall blend, 2017 saw Merlot taking its place as the second largest contributor at 20%. This variety was remarkably structured and flavorful, surpassing the 2009 as the best Merlot we have worked with. Generally, we look to Cabernet Sauvignon to contribute structure, Cabernet Franc - acid-driven red fruit, and Merlot – mid-palate flesh. In this grand wine, these varieties play their accustomed roles but at an amplitude unseen in 11 vintages. This wine is gorgeously massive and will require 5-10 years to begin to show its myriad complexities.
Blend: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon; 20% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
A warm sub-appellation of the greater San Francisco Bay AVA (American Viticultural Area), Livermore Valley mainly hides behind the shielding effects of the bay’s eastern hills. However, late afternoon winds cool down summer nights as daytime heat rises from the Central Valley in the east, pulling the cold, foggy, bay air inland. This cooler evening air permeates the Livermore Valley's foothills, making this an ideal environment for the development of phenolic ripeness and concentration in its wine grapes.
The Livermore Valley is one of California's oldest wine regions and has played a crucial role in shaping California's wine industry. Spanish missionaries planted the first wine grapes in the Livermore Valley in the 1760s. Then in the mid 1800s, a man named Robert Livermore planted the area’s first commercial vineyards. Winemaker pioneer C. H. Wente arrived a few years later; today the Wente Chardonnay clone is the source of a majority of California Chardonnay. Furthermore, James Concannon and the Wetmore brothers recognized the virtues of the area’s Bordeaux-like gravel soils and dedicated themselves to making high quality wine from Bordeaux varieties. Today the area is also known for high quality Petite Sirah.