2018 Cabernet Sauvignon

California

Tasting Notes

This wine brings an abundant profile of earth, mocha, and cedar with a background of dark fruit notes of blackberry and elderberry syrup. We think you’ll love how smooth it is, with its plush fruit and silky tannins. It is medium bodied, so you can easily enjoy it every day on its own or with food. This wine is already perfectly aged and ready to be consumed this year, so enjoy it this winter with your favorite comfort foods!

Winemaking Notes

As these grapes ripened we practiced careful leaf pulling in the vineyard to ensure even ripeness, as uneven ripeness can lead to bell peppery flavors that we did not want in this style. We harvested the grapes at maximum ripeness at 26˚ Brix, the measurement of sugar in the grapes that will be converted into alcohol during fermentation, for a full-bodied profile. We destemmed only 80% of the grapes, keeping 20% whole cluster for fermentation to pull in additional tannins and complexity from the grape stems. The wine fermented in tank with four pump overs per day to maximize extraction before pressing the wine gently to barrel for aging.

Aging

Aged in 80% medium plus French oak and 20% medium plus American oak for 18 months, then in bottle until now.

Food Pairing

Pair this wine with aged semi-hard cheeses like cheddar, gouda, or gorgonzola. Steak, burgers, or ribs will never disappoint as pairings. Coq au vin made with this wine would be a wintertime winner of a pairing. For vegetarian pairings keep it rich and earthy with mushrooms, creamy polenta with roasted vegetables, or a sophisticated mac and cheese.

Wine Specs

100% Cabernet Sauvignon

13.9% alcohol

80 cases produced