2017 Vaca Cabernet Sauvignon

We select fruit for this special red blend from three different vineyards along the Vaca mountain range. Suscol Springs Vineyard, east of the town of Napa, has the coolest climate. Its vines are planted amid rocky outcrops overlooking the Napa Valley floor. Doggwood Vineyard, located further north above Conn Dam near Napa’s eastern ridgeline, is a warm, bowl-like valley boasting multiple sun exposures. Dancing Bear, the northernmost site, sits on Howell Mountain at elevations between 1,400 to 1,800 feet and enjoys a near 360-degree exposure, offering a diverse range of growing conditions. The elevation and thin, rocky soils of these Vaca Range Vineyards naturally limit the vines productivity and produce small clusters with a higher skin to juice ratio which translates into deeply colored wines with intense concentration of flavor and powerful structure.

After several years of drought, we were happy to see ample rainfall in Napa Valley during the winter of 2017. Cool spring weather gave us ideal conditions for flowering and “berry set”—when each tiny flower turns into a young grape. Temperatures were moderate through the summer, for slow, even ripening. Toward harvest, the temperatures turned warmer, delivering small clusters with tremendous varietal character and balanced acidity.

Type:

Red

Varietal:

Blend

Region:

California

Vintage:

2017

Alcohol:

14.9