Winemaking Update
In this club release, we are pleased to feature our 2018 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon, Cave 7 Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc. 2018 delivered an ideal growing season to the Napa Valley, giving us the finest conditions in the last decade. The vintage started with abundant rainfall in February and March, followed by a fairly dry spring. The delayed rains, as opposed to rain in early winter, helped to retain moisture in the soil for longer into the growing season, allowing for delayed irrigation and for our vines to establish a good fruit set.
Our vines began their growth cycle in perfect conditions which lasted throughout the summer months. Days were warm, without any heat spikes and the mild weather continued into the fall, giving our fruit longer hang time. Flavors evolved steadily, right alongside acidity for optimal balance, and September offered us near-perfect temperatures, not exceeding 90 degrees during the day and dropping to 60 degrees in the evening. Light rain visited the valley on October 2nd which was just enough to rinse off the dust and time for our crew to relax with the harvest progressing at a measured pace.
Determining when grapes are ready for harvest is a team effort. Our team walks the vineyards, tasting grapes as they begin to ripen. In 2018, certain elevated spots in our Oakville vineyards stressed vines into earlier ripening, and these were some of the first grapes we picked. Harvest was relaxed in 2018, beginning on September 13th with Merlot from Oakville and finished October 31st with Cabernet Sauvignon from Carneros. Yes, that’s correct; we planted Cabernet Sauvignon in Carneros, an area often considered too cool for Cabernet as it is more heavily influenced by fog, and we cannot be more thrilled with the outcome of this bottling and the acid balance that our Carneros fruit brought to this wine. More on that to come later in the year. As a result of the beautiful weather, the 2018 wines have tremendous color, depth, and purity. And while these wines can be enjoyed now, they will also make lovely additions to cellar and will continue to evolve over the coming years. Our team is delighted to share the fruits of our labor with you.
Download February 2021
