Winemaker's Tasting Notes The 2006 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon combines full body and richness with moderate alcohol. It has a garnet color and a nose of cassis liqueur, nutmeg and dark chocolate. On the palate, it has a rich, mouth-coating attack, great expression of fruit, a full-body and beautifully integrated tannins that lead to a long, spicy finish. Given proper cellaring, this wine will give drinking pleasure through 2026. Vintage Description The 2006 winter and spring were marked by heavy rains: March had the most rain days on record. Indeed the early season was quite wet and the rains extended well into April. The weather became dry and warm by late spring and bloom conditions were ideal. The early summer will be remembered for a searing 10-day heat wave in July, but August and September were mild, which coupled with normal yields led to a slow prolonged ripening. We began picking in Alexander Valley on September 12th and concluded harvest on October 17th. Blending and Aging Our 2006 Alexander Valley, a blend of wine from several different vineyards, is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. We blended the vineyard lots in early 2007 and transferred the wine to 50% new and 50% once-used American oak barrels for aging. Blending prior to barreling allows us to achieve a balance of the wine’s natural elements, such as fruit and tannin, before they are influenced by oak. The wine was then aged in barrel for approximately 25 months and another 15 months in bottle to harmonize its components before release. should give drinking pleasure through 2024. Vintage Description The 2004 growing season started with the earliest budbreak in history and ended with a very early harvest with light yields. Unseasonably warm late-winter temperatures induced the earliest budbreak in memory. Once the shoots started growing, bloom, veraison and ripening took place at least three weeks ahead of their normal schedule. The early bloom was interrupted by cool spring conditions, and this caused the vines to set a light crop. In the Napa Valley, the morning fog in late July and early August slowed down maturation so that what started as an early harvest ended up on a more typical schedule. We began picking on August 25th but did not conclude until October 8th. Blending and Aging Our 2004 Napa Valley is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. It was blended in early 2005 and transferred to 100% new American oak barrels for aging. We blend prior to barreling to achieve a balance of the wine’s natural elements, such as fruit and tannin, before they are influenced by oak. The wine was then aged in barrel for approximately 25 months and another 20 months in bottle to harmonize its components before release. |