Winemaker Notes
Cuvée de la Luna is a unique blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petite Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Individual barrel lots were chosen from Sonoma County's premier viticultural areas. Our best lots of wine from Sonoma Valley, Sonoma Mountain, Dry Creek and the Mayacamas Range were all used in this reserve "Meritage" style wine. “The goal with this wine for Valley of the Moon", says winemaker Steve Rued, “is to make the most complex and best tasting red wine possible. Its non-varietal label gives us the ultimate flexibility to adjust the blend from year to year."
The fruit for this wine was harvested in late September/early October after 2001's exceptional growing season. After fermentation in stainless steel tanks, the wine was aged for twenty-four months in French and American oak barrels.
58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 6% Petite Verdot
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.