2002 was another vintage the winemakers celebrated! It was easily a winegrowers vintage – all the elements were in place to make fabulous wines. June was mild, a short heat wave in July, followed by temperatures in the mid 80’s to 90’s. A fairly leisurely ripening period through September allowed for excellent flavor development. The vines for this wine were carefully grown on our Yountville Cross Road Estate, and harvested at the peak of flavor in late September 2002.
Our winemaker, Celia Welch Masyczek, works closely with Sergio Melgoza, our vineyard manager, as they both believe that the art of making great wine begins in the vineyard. As a team they determine the picking date more by taste than analysis. After picking the grapes at the peak of ripeness, the Cabernet Sauvignon was carefully destemmed and gently transferred into a fermentation tank, where they fermented on the skins for just over two weeks. Aged in small barrels (50% new) for about 19 months, the wine was minimally filtered just prior to bottling in May 2004. The final blend is 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Merlot from 100% estate-grown fruit.
We harvested these rocky-soil Cabernet vines at the peak level of ripeness, which is clearly evident in the final results. The fresh berry notes dominating the aromas of this complex Cabernet Sauvignon are accentuated by nuances of mocha and baking spices. The flavors of warm raspberries with dark chocolate give way to a mid-palate of spice and vanilla, then a gentle finish of fresh, crisp fruit. The texture is lively, not overbearing, and retains enough natural acidity to perfectly embolden the bright fruit flavors.