2023
Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon
As our warmest vineyard, Oakville offers a rich experience for any Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon enthusiast seeking an uber-ripe rendition of this noble grape.
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2023
Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon
Made entirely from Oakville-grown Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine touts the expressiveness and minerality the appellation is known for.
The nose leads with Rainier cherries, fig seed, mushrooms, and milk chocolate. The palate is one broad-reaching arc, beginning with sweeter notes of cherry juice on the way to a finish that evokes freshly roasted coffee beans. In between, well-integrated tannins make up the intricate bone structure of the wine, treated to the occasional fleck of iron. Cellar for 8-12 years and enhance its profile with a dish like Osso Bucco.
Vintage
2023
Varietal
Cabernet Sauvignon
Appellation
Oakville, Napa Valley
Alcohol
15.5%
Vintage Notes
The 2023 growing season began with heavy winter rain, replenishing our reservoirs and lakes. Bud break was delayed due to a cooler than usual season, typically occurring once every 10 to 15 years. Despite this, we enjoyed a lengthy season with yields from average to 10% above average. With no disease pressure, increased soil water, and extended hang time, 2023 is destined to be legendary. Our vines thrived with healthy canopies, and the grapes ripened slowly, ensuring this “once-in-a-decade” vintage provided fruit that could perform at the apex of quality.
Winemaker’s Notes
The 2023 vintage was harvested from October 10th through October 26th. The grapes were hand-harvested at night when temperatures often dip to 50°F to capture vibrant acidity and fruit expression in the wine.
We first cold-soaked the must (crushed grapes) for gentle extraction and then fermented in stainless steel, concrete and oak barrel fermenters at 88°F. Rigorous pump-overs, increasing during the peak of the fermentation, developed deep color, rich varietal character, and fine tannins in the wine. The wine was aged in 67% new French oak and 6% new American oak barrels to meld the bright fruit expression with oak spice nuances. After three months of aging, we blended the vineyard components allowing them to marry for a total of 20 months of barrel élevage. This wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered to present the attributes of the vineyard in the purest form possible, from the dirt to the glass!
