2004 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

The weather during the 2004 vintage was typical of Napa. However, a week long heat wave in September desiccated 15-20% of our grapes. In our ongoing quest for top quality wines, we manually removed, in the vineyard, most of the dried berries. We repeated the operation on the sorting table. It was long, arduous work but such is the price of great wines. The result is a strong, powerful wine. The grapes in this blend come from four of our blocks - two Cabernet Sauvignon blocks and two merlot blocks. Each block brings its own character. They were blended precisely to achieve a balanced and unique wine. The wine was aged 17 months in French oak barrels on its lees and never racked. The lees coat the grape and oak tannins making the wine appear softer in its youth.  As lees break down in the wine, they coat the harder tannins of the grapes and the oak allowing you to enjoy the wine young too.