Alcohol:      14.5%

   Fermentation:       Fermented in open top bins, hand punched down and foot-trodden.  Full malolactic fermentation for all

                                 varietals was completed in 59 gallon oak barrels.

    Barrel Aging:        28 months in new and 2^nd use 59 gallon French oak.

Residual Sugar:        Dry

Cases Produced:     645

Winemakers Notes:

This is our first Cabernet with all five Bordeaux varietals in it and the Petit Verdot and Malbec have added more richness and mouth-feel.  The aroma is of dark cherries, toffee, spice and slightly herbal.  Very rich in the mouth with great structure, the taste is of cherries and blackberries  The finish is long and smooth with soft tannins.  Released August 1, 2008, this wine tastes great now and will gain in complexity over the next 10 years with proper cellaring.

The cool climate at 1,700 feet of elevation in the Mayacamas Mountains is ideal for creating a very Bordeaux-like Cabernet Sauvignon.  Betsy’s first experiences in wine tasting came while living in Bordeaux in 1975 and Peter became enthralled with Bordeaux wines while working in a French restaurant so why would we want to make our cabernet sauvignon blend in any other style?

Our estate vineyard on the Sonoma side of the mountains is 100% non-tilled volcanic soil and farmed following organic and biodynamic philosophies.  Each varietal was picked at optimum ripeness over the course of three weeks in October.  The grapes were de-stemmed and then crushed by foot in open top half-ton bins, an old world technique we learned from a winemaker in Portugal’s Douro Valley to get dark color without bitterness or astringency. We removed seeds by hand during fermentation to further avoid any “green” taste.  

"A refined but powerful black fruit and mineral centered wine that taste born out of the Redwood Mountainside of the western facing Mayacamas Range where most of the grapes where grown.  It is best described as falling somewhere between the best of ageable, old fashioned, California Cabernets and Modern Medoc (Bordeaux).  It can easily compete, with a little decanting, against many of the top cult wines in California.   Blackberry, cassis, and black spice are the main flavors showcased, followed by red currants and lavender resting underneath and finding their way out into the open after extended decanting." Rated: 93 points Sonoma Sommelier