Our Cabernet Sauvignon is an old vineyard in the Shenandoah Valley which was planted in 1972 on St. George rootstock. This is an old, low bearing, small berry/cluster clone. Yields are about 1-1 1/2 tons per acre. Our growing season is longer and cooler than what many might assume. It is comparable in many ways to the Howell Mountain region of the Napa Valley. Red, iron-laden soils of grainy decomposed granite. Warm days moderated by afternoon Delta breezes and cool night air from the High Sierra peaks just 50 miles to our East. Closer to harvest as the days become shorter, fruit cooled overnight takes half the day to warm again and matures slowly. Most of the grapes are fermented in 5 ton open top fermenters and hand-punched. The remainder are fermented in a 10 ton closed top tank where the cap is irrigated with a special device during pump-overs. Lots are combined at a later date depending on the winemaker’s discretion. Aging takes place in 100% French Bordeaux barrels from Taransaud cooperage. They are thin-staved Bordeaux-styled Center of France barrels and 50% are brand new each year. The remainder of the barrels are from the two previous years vintages. The wine is in barrel for two years prior to bottling in the fall. It will be aged in bottle for an additional four years prior to its’ release.

350 cases produced.

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