1997 Cabernet Sauvignon, Blue Rock Vineyard, Alexander Valley
Vintage
1997
Price
$50
Release Date
June 2001
Appellation
Alexander Valley
Availability
Only at the Winery
Grapes
Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage
Blue Rock Vineyard is a unique piece of property. It is situated in a pocket valley in western Alexander Valley on sloping terrain. The high magnesium serpentine soils (blue rock) naturally limit crop size and contribute to unique wines. The Cabernet Sauvignon for this bottling comes from the blocks located mid-slope which consistently produce the best wines. For consistently intense wines crop level is strictly controlled and all phases of farming are watched closely. The warm summer of 1997 gave us fully ripe fruit with lots of body and the structure to carry a big wine.
Vinification
Once in the winery we crushed into small, open top fermenters. Fermentation was managed for maximum extraction and tannin balance. The wine was moved to barrel quickly where it spent 18 months in French oak. Only the best lots and best barrels were used for this bottling. The wine was bottled unfiltered July 22, 1999. pH 3.69 TA .60 rs .05, alc 13.6.
Tasting Notes
This Blue Rock Cabernet shows baked cherry, spicy oak and earthy aromas, cherry and spice flavors a creamy texture, soft tannins and a long cherry-berry finish.