Description:
The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon is another stunning example of how impressive Bordeaux varieties can be from these soils. It’s dark and opaque in color with notes of plum, blackberries, cherries, and tobacco on the nose. Smooth upon entry, this wine is broad and plush on the mid-palate flavors of black cherry, cassis, and licorice joined by vanilla, cinnamon, and oak notes toward the mid-palate. The finish is long and generous. The 2016 vintage was a fabulous one in Alexander Valley. After a very wet Spring, we had pleasant weather throughout the growing season with few heat spikes. The Fall was cool and allowed us plenty of hang time on the vine before we picked.
Vineyard:
Steep slopes combined with very rocky soil are the hallmarks of the “Mi Cielo” vineyard. The 3.0-acre vineyard is planted in very tight spacing (1.0 meter x 1.0 meter) to encourage competition between the vines. This results in greater intensity and concentration of the resulting fruit. All vineyard work is done by hand and the utmost care is taken to ensure the highest quality possible. It takes much more time and commitment to grow grapes this way. The steep slopes on the ranch add another challenge. All the extra effort and expense is rewarded in the higher quality of fruit that results and the wine made from them reflects that.
Clones:
There is a mixture of clones planted in the vineyard with clone 337 making up the majority. Clone 4 and clone 7 contribute the remaining amount.
Chemistry:
pH: 3.90
TA: 5.6
Alc: 14.8%
RS: dry: 0.01 %
Fermentation and aging:
Destemmed to tank and allowed to cold soak for 6 days before fermenting. Only native yeasts were used. The total time in the tank was 20 days. The free run was drained and transferred to French Oak barrels (86% new). Malolactic occurred naturally in the barrel. The wine was aged for 20 months in a barrel and racked gently before bottling. The wine was bottled without fining or filtering.
Harvest Date:
September 23rd, 2016
Cases Produced:
168 cases