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Vintage: 2003
Appellation: Napa Valley
Composition: 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot
Bottle Sizes: 750 ml Bottle, 1.5 L Magnum, 3 L Double Magnum, 6 L Imperial
Release Date: Saturday, February 2, 2008
750 ml Price: $100
Winemaker's Tasting Notes
The 2003 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a complex and concentrated wine that deftly balances intensity and finesse. The wine has a dark garnet color with a deep purple edge, and displays aromas of blackberry jam, dark chocolate, rose petal, black pepper and cedar. In the mouth, the attack is quite rich, expressing notes of brown sugar and nutmeg, and the flavors proceed seamlessly to a long finish of fruit and ripe tannins. Properly cellared, this wine should give drinking pleasure until 2027.
Vintage Description
The 2003 harvest had two distinct phases – a hot, compressed first half and a cool, drawn-out second half – resulting in a very complex, layered wine. We received above-average rainfall of 45 inches, with a disproportionate amount in April and May. This created some extra work in the field and resulted in low yields at some vineyards. June and July were mild, and August was cooler than normal. A short heat wave began in mid-September, and we brought in the first fruit on September 13th. Temperatures remained warm and built to another heat wave that peaked at 104 degrees. We picked frenetically throughout this heat spell and brought in approximately half of the fruit. Then, abruptly on September 23rd, it became cool and foggy and remained so for two weeks. This seemed like a completely different growing season, with foggy mornings and afternoon temperatures in the high 80s. It gradually warmed up and we were able to complete harvest by October 30th.
Blending and Aging
Our 2003 Napa Valley is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. It was blended in early 2004 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 is then aged in barrel for approximately 25 months and another 20 months in bottle to harmonize its components before release.
Appellation: Napa Valley
Composition: 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot
Bottle Sizes: 750 ml Bottle, 1.5 L Magnum, 3 L Double Magnum, 6 L Imperial
Release Date: Saturday, February 2, 2008
750 ml Price: $100
Winemaker's Tasting Notes
The 2003 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a complex and concentrated wine that deftly balances intensity and finesse. The wine has a dark garnet color with a deep purple edge, and displays aromas of blackberry jam, dark chocolate, rose petal, black pepper and cedar. In the mouth, the attack is quite rich, expressing notes of brown sugar and nutmeg, and the flavors proceed seamlessly to a long finish of fruit and ripe tannins. Properly cellared, this wine should give drinking pleasure until 2027.
Vintage Description
The 2003 harvest had two distinct phases – a hot, compressed first half and a cool, drawn-out second half – resulting in a very complex, layered wine. We received above-average rainfall of 45 inches, with a disproportionate amount in April and May. This created some extra work in the field and resulted in low yields at some vineyards. June and July were mild, and August was cooler than normal. A short heat wave began in mid-September, and we brought in the first fruit on September 13th. Temperatures remained warm and built to another heat wave that peaked at 104 degrees. We picked frenetically throughout this heat spell and brought in approximately half of the fruit. Then, abruptly on September 23rd, it became cool and foggy and remained so for two weeks. This seemed like a completely different growing season, with foggy mornings and afternoon temperatures in the high 80s. It gradually warmed up and we were able to complete harvest by October 30th.
Blending and Aging
Our 2003 Napa Valley is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. It was blended in early 2004 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 is then aged in barrel for approximately 25 months and another 20 months in bottle to harmonize its components before release.
