Vineyard and Winemaking Notes

In 1991, we planted our Cabernet Franc vineyard with a selection of vines imported from the viticultural research station at Montpellier, France. Our cooler microclimate means the Cab Franc can slowly mature, and the longer hangtime allows the grapes to develop the elegant aromas and flavors that you find in this wine. On a typical summer day in our vineyards, the cool morning fog lingers until 11:00 a.m. and the vines get only half a day of sun. After the cooler summer weather of 2008, sunny days in the fall brought the grapes to full ripeness, and we were able to harvest before the rains. Following our field-blending practice, we harvested our Merlot and Petite Verdot along with the Cabernet Franc. We co-fermented the three varieties in an open top fermenter using Bordeaux yeast. After fermentation, we pressed the wine to barrels for 18 months of aging. Once bottled, we aged the wine for another 18 months before release to allow the components to integrate and the flavors to fully express themselves.

Tasting Notes

With aromas of cherry, red currant, subtle cedar, and rich spicy oak, our ’08 Cab Franc wins you over before you’ve even taken a sip. The creamy entry flows into lovely mocha notes that intertwine with chewy tannins mid-palate. Hints of juicy cherry and currant mesh with cedar and vanillin oak as they linger on the palate. Even though this wine is a good cellar candidate, it can also be enjoyed now, especially if decanted an hour or so. Try with coffee-marinated rib eye steaks or pork chops served with creamy garlic mashed potatoes, or bruschetta with fresh tomatoes, basil, and garlic.

Composition

A single-vineyard field blend of 96% Cabernet Franc with 3% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot.

Appellation

Russian River Valley

Vineyard Designation

Alegría Vineyard

Harvest Dates

October 20 & 28, 2008

Brix at Harvest

23°

Barrel Aging

18 months

Barrel Program

65% French, 35% American; 35% new French oak barrels

Bottled

May 10, 2008

Alcohol

13.5%

pH

3.73

T.A.	0.56g/100ml

Case Production

439

Release Date

Fall 2011

Price

$30

Availability

YES

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