2015 Cabernet Sauvignon

Appellation & Vineyards 
Each of our Somerston Estate wines is produced from a single block on our 1,615-acre estate, high in the eastern hills of Napa Valley. This estate bottled wine is sourced solely from Celestial Block LX, one of our most valued vineyard blocks. 

Winemaking
All of the grapes for this wine were hand-picked. Then they were de-stemmed, sorted, and pumped into a tank for a five-day cold soak at 50°. When the fermentation began, we pumped over the tank twice per day.  Native yeast fermentation lasted for 16 days, followed by a short heated extended maceration of 3 days. The free run was drained from the tank overnight. The wine was barreled down into 70% new French oak and 30% once used barrels. Malolactic fermentation occurred naturally in the barrel.  This wine was barrel-aged for 24 months and bottled unfiltered.

Harvest Notes
Everything about the 2015 vintage was early, from bud break in early March to harvest.  The warm summer days and lighter than standard yields also accelerated the start of harvest.  All of the fruit from Block LX was harvest on September 22nd. 

"A dark, rich, loam-filled version, redolent of dark cassis, blackberry, and fig fruit flavors, steeped with anise and bay leaf notes. The finish lets a swath of smoldering charcoal flow through as the fruit keeps the upper hand." - 93 pts, Wine Spectator