Vintage: The 2016 vintage was another early harvest, similar to 2015. A mild winter with average rainfall provided some drought relief but bud-break stil arrived a few weeks early. Warm spring weather allowed for good berry set and a slightly lower crop yield however the moderate summer temperatures brought the fruit to full ripe maturity. 2016 wines have intense aromas, flavors, balance and acidity.
Vineyard: The Truchard Estate Vineyard is located in the Carneros region of the Napa Valley. It is 400 acres of rolling hills and valleys that contain a variey of soils: clay, shale, sandstone, limestone, volcanic ash and rock. The combinations of terrain, geology and marine-moderated temperatures provide ideal growing conditions for wine-grapes. Our Cabernet Sauvignon is planted in several different sites on steep, southwestern facing hillsides. The vines range from 19 - 42 years and produce wines that are deep in color and dominated by lush flavors of plum, berry and spice. Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec are blended in to provide additional softeness, structure and complexity.
Winemaking: All the fruit was gently destemmed and crushed, then inoculated with Pasteur Red yeast. Fermentations were pumped-over twice daily with the temperature peaking at 88 F. Maceration time varied from 14 to 30 days depending on vineyard block. The wine was then aged for 20 months in French oak barrels (45% new). Rackings occured every 4 months until bottling August 2018. The final blend is 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec. This wine can age 10 to 15 years with proper cellaring but is drinkable now.
Harvest: September 21 - October 19, 2016. 24.6 Brix. 3.48 pH 6.6 g/l TA
Alcohol: 14.2%
Release Date: March 1, 2019
