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Appellation: |
Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District |
Vineyards: |
Cabernet Sauvignon 77%, Merlot 20%, Cabernet Franc
3% |
Aged: |
22 Months in New French Oak Barrels |
Production: |
7,322 Cases |
Bottled: |
July 1, 1999 |
Rating: |
92 Points, Wine Spectator |
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|
Winemaker Notes |
The wine has a brilliant ruby red color of considerable
depth. The wine's aroma gives impressions of smoke and cedar
wood. It is developing a bouquet that is becoming more truffle-like
and earthy with age. In the mouth, the wine displays a round
and full entry on the palate with broad and soft tannins.
The evolution of its flavor is a rich and velvety impression
with a firm finish. |
|
The 1997 Vintage |
| This is a great vintage. This wine is big, full bodied,
and intense in flavor. 1997 was a warm year for on Spring
Mountain with unusually large fluctuations between day and
night temperatures. Grapes were early ripening and laden with
color, tannin, and strong varietal character. This was the
first year we had access to all the La Perla fruit which expanded
our production and brought wonderful new lots into our wine
inventory. A wholly satisfying year; and one that will improve
as time passes. |
|
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 |
13.8% v/v |
| Total Acidity |
6.1 g/L |
| pH |
3.65 |
| Volatile Acidity |
.068 g/100mL |
| Residual Sugar |
< 0.01 g/100mL |
| Malic Acid |
< 0.15 g/L |
| Flavonoid Phenolics |
2230 mg/L |
| Non-Flavonoid |
260 mg/L |
| Total Phenolics |
2490 mg/L |
| Total Sulfur Dioxide |
50 mg/L@bottling |
| Free Sulfur Dioxide |
25 mg/L@bottling |
| Vineyard |
La Perla 52%, Chev 24%, Mira 15%, Alba 9% |
| Grape Varieties |
Cabernet Sauvignon 77%, Merlot 20%, Franc 3% |
| Heat Summation |
[4/1-10/16] 33-95º days |
| Total Rainfall |
[Jan.-Dec.] 29.97” |
| Season Rainfall |
[4/1 – 10/16] 13.22” |
| Harvest Period |
September 2–October 16th |
| Yield |
.5 – 2.5 ton/acre |
| Yeast |
Indigenous 100% |
| Fermentation Length |
6-10 days |
| Fermentation Temp |
75º - 80º F |
| Barrel Type |
Chateau Ferre, French Oak |
| Barrel Age |
100% New |
| Barrel Maker |
Seguin, Demptos, Radoux, Bossuet, & Berger
|
| Toast Level |
Medium |
| Time in Barrel |
22 Months |
| Fining |
None |
| Filtration |
EK-150 |
| Bottling Date |
July 1-7, 1999 |
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