 |
 |
Appellation: |
Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District |
Vineyards: |
Miravalle 67%, La Perla 33% |
Clones: |
Spottswoode |
Varietals: |
Sauvignon Blanc 65% Chenin Blanc 21% Chardonnay 12% Musc
de Front 2% |
Aged: |
7 Months in French Oak Barrels |
Bottled: |
May 27, 1997 |
|
|
Winemaker Notes |
| Yellowish straw color, medium depth. Very open bouquet
which becomes quite complex with time. Generous fruit
and spice complemented by oak. Palate is concentrated
and smooth with the balance and structure to age well. Long round finish. |
|
The 1996 Vintage |
| The growing season began with an unseasonably warm winter
coupled with good amounts of rain that lead to an early bud
break, two weeks ahead of norm. This was followed by
a cool spring, with rain during the May bloom period which
led to lower yields. Three heat spells in July and August
brought early verasion. A late August cooling trend
that continued into September slowed sugar development and
allowed flavors to catch up. The ideal combination of
cool nights, early morning fog and warm afternoons brought
the fruit into excellent balance. Clusters were very
small, so there was a higher skin to juice ratio which produced
more intensely flavored wine. |
|
Spring Mountain Sauvignon Blanc |
| First produced in 1993, the grapes now come from two of our vineyards: La Perla and Miravalle, the property originally planted by Tiburcio Parrott in 1885. Miravalle is one of the warmest areas
on the estate, which ensures fully ripened grapes. La Perla is planted meter by meter (high density) and gobelet trained. This wine expresses a richness along with a backbone that enables
this wine to develop complexity for several years after its original release. |
|
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 |
13.7% v/v |
| Total Acidity |
5.7 g/L |
| pH |
3.37 |
| Volatile Acidity |
0.045 g/100 mL |
| Residual Sugar |
0.26 g/100 mL |
| Malic Acid |
1.5 g/L |
| Flavonoid Phenolics |
50 |
| Non-Flavonoid |
125 |
| Total Phenolics |
175 |
| Total SO2 |
98 mg/L @bottling |
| Free Sulfur Dioxide |
19 mg/L@bottling |
| Vineyards |
Miravalle 67%, La Perla 33% |
| Appellation |
Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District |
| Grape Varieties |
Sauvignon Blanc 65% Chenin Blanc 21% Chardonny 12% Musc
de Front 2% |
| Heat
Summation |
[4/1
-10/15] 32-65˚ days |
| Harvest
Period |
August-October |
| Total
Rainfall |
[Jan
- Dec] 34.41” |
| Grow
Season Rain |
[
4/1 - 10/15 ] 7.69” |
| Ferm Regime |
50% Tank 50% Bbls |
| Ferm Temp |
Tank 55°F Bbls 70-72°F |
| Ferm Length |
Avg. 25 days |
| Yeast |
SB=VL-3; CB=CV3079; CH=Montrachet; Mus=VL-1
|
| Juice Yield |
140 gals/ton |
| Barrel Type |
French Oak-60 gal. (30) 132 gal. (5) |
| Barrel Age |
Puncheons-new; Barrels-2nd & 3rd fills |
| Barrel Maker |
Puncheons, Demptos, Davay, Billon, Barrels-Siruque |
| Toast Level |
Medium plus |
| Time in Barrel |
7 Months |
| Fining |
Milk 0.1ml/l, Isinglass 10mg/l Bentonite 1
1/16 #/1000gal. |
| Filtration |
KS 80 |
| Bottling Date |
5/27/97 |
|
|
|
|
