 |
Appellation: |
Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District |
Vineyards: |
La Perla 64%, Chevalier 29%, Alba 4%, Miravalle 3% |
Varietals: |
Cabernet Sauvignon 83%, Merlot 10%, Cabernet Franc
5%, Petit Verdot 2% |
Aged: |
22 Months in 100% New French Oak Barrels |
Bottled: |
September 2, 1998 |
|
|
|
|
Winemaker Notes |
The wine has a deep, bright, ruby red color with full
depth. The aroma is fragrant with fruit aromas that lean
to black current, with toasty oak adding a cedar tone to
cassis. Some tasters have found an aroma similar to mint
and others anise. The wine displays a round, full entry
with soft tannins. Evolution is rich yet velvety. Finish
is firm, but silky. |
|
The 1996 Vintage |
| Unseasonably warm winter coupled with lots of moisture brought
on an early bud break. This was followed by a fairly cool
spring, and intermittent rain during the May bloom period
causing some reduction in crop. What started as a cool summer
in June turned into a warm one with four heat spells in July
and August that brought early verasion and hastened the ripening
process. A dramatic cooling trend in late August, continued
into September slowing sugar development and allowing flavors
to catch up. Harvest proceeded steadily with an ideal combination
of cool nights, early morning fog, and warm afternoons. |
|
Spring Mountain Estate |
| Grapes from each of the four vineyard properties are considered
as we select the lots to be used in our Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.
The multitude of top quality lots with distinctly different
attributes allows us to be extremely selective in making the
final blend. The result is a true Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
that reflects the unique growing conditions of the Spring
Mountain growing district. |
|
Spring Mountain Vineyard |
| Originally four individual historic Napa Valley properties,
Miravalle, La Perla, Alba, and Chevalier have now been combined
to create an 850 acre estate of forest and vineyard on the
eastern slopes of Spring Mountain overlooking the small town
of Saint Helena. Over 225 acres of the estate are planted
to vine, creating 135 separate hillside vineyard blocks each
with its own unique soil, exposure, and microclimate. The
vineyard is planted in densities of 4,000 vines per acre and
trained to the ancient gobelet form, a vertical trellising
method that was invented in an earlier millennium by the Romans. |
Detailed Analysis |
|
| Alcohol |
13.93% v/v |
| Total Acidity |
6.1 g/L |
| pH |
3.69 |
| Volatile Acidity |
0.067 g/100mL |
| Residual Sugar |
<0.01 g/100mL |
| Malic Acid |
<0.15 g/L |
| Flavonoid Phenolics |
1750 mg/L |
| Non-Flavonoid |
410 mg/L |
| Total Phenolics |
2160 mg/L |
| Total SO2 |
69 mg/L@bottling |
| Free SO2 |
26 mg/L@bottling |
| Vineyards |
La Perla 64%, Chev 29%, Alba 4%, Miravalle 3% |
| Appellation |
Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District |
| Grape Varieties |
Cabernet Sauvignon 83%, Merlot 10%, Franc 5%, Petit
Verdot 2% |
| Heat Summation |
[4/1-10/15] 32-100º days |
| Total Rainfall |
[Jan-Dec] 52.97" |
| Season Rainfall |
[4/1-10/15] 6.33” |
| Harvest Period |
September 12th-October 10th |
| Ferm Length |
7 to 45 days |
| Ferm Temp |
75°- 82° F |
| Cap Management |
2 pump-over/day, sprinkler device |
| Yeast |
Indigenous 100% |
| Barrel Type |
Chateau Ferre; French Oak Barrels |
| Toast Level |
Medium |
| Barrel Age |
100% new |
| Barrel Maker |
Seguin Moreau, Demptos, Radoux |
| Fining |
None |
| Filtration |
KS –1.50 |
| Bottling Date |
September 2-4, 1998 |
|
|
|
