Winemaker Notes
The 2005 vintage of Legacy is led by Cabernet Sauvignon which makes up 82% of the blend and is from both hillside and mountain vineyards in the Alexander Valley. The mountain vineyards reach up to 2,400 feet in elevation and are planted on our Alexander Mountain Estate. Higher altitude creates its own climate which is different from the vineyards planted on the valley floor. Even on the warmest summer days, the cooling influence of the Pacific Ocean twenty miles away can be felt. Soils, too, are significantly different. On the mountain, the soil is thin, rocky and gravelly. This helps produce fruit that is complex, rich and concentrated.
The blend is further enhanced by the contributions of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot fruit sourced from our Legacy vineyards in the Alexander Valley.
We complement the powerful fruit by using only small, thin-staved French oak barrels to age this wine. The resulting wine is supple and leads with notes of graphite and black currant. Look also for hints of smoky toastiness and concentrated black cherries.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
This 1,500-case blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot comes from two vineyards on Jess Jackson’s Alexander Mountain estate at a relatively high elevation. The wine offers notes of cedar, graphite, black currant, sweet cherry, and smoky oak. It is quite tightly knit, full-bodied, moderately tannic, with good acidity and definition. It should be given several years of bottle age upon release and should evolve for at least 20+ years.
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.
Home to a diverse array of smaller AVAs with varied microclimates and soil types, Sonoma County has something for every wine lover. Physically twice as large as Napa Valley, the region only produces about half the amount of wine but boasts both tremendous quality and variety. With its laid-back atmosphere and down-to-earth attitude, the wineries of Sonoma are appreciated by wine tourists for their friendliness and approachability. The entire county intends to become a 100% sustainable winegrowing region by 2019.
Sonoma County wines are produced with carefully selected grape varieties to reflect the best attributes of their sites—Dry Creek Valley’s consistent sunshine is ideal for Zinfandel, while the warm Alexander Valley is responsible for rich, voluptuous red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are important throughout the county, most notably in the cooler AVAs of Russian River, Sonoma Coast and Carneros. Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Syrah have also found a firm footing here.