2006 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

The follow-up to our 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon has a deep crimson color and a deliciously silky texture.  Ink Grade vineyard on Howell Mountain provided 85% Cabernet Sauvignon with 13% Merlot from a cooler, southern valley Coombsville vineyard and 2% Cabernet from a higher altitude Mount Veeder vineyard.  The result is a well structured, full-bodied, mouth filling wine that is balanced yet wonderfully complex.  Still in barrel, the wine is due for release during October 2008.

Tasting Notes

Howell Mountain provided 85% Cabernet with 13% Merlot from cooler Coombsville Vineyard, and 2% Cabernet from Mount Veeder  resulting in a well structured, mouth-filling wine that is balanced yet wonderfully complex.

Vineyard Notes

East of Calistoga, Ink Grade stands atop the Vaca Range on the eastern side of Howell Mountain. The high elevation causes daytime temperatures to be cooler and evening temperatures to be slightly warmer than the Napa floor. Planted in 1990, Ink Grade stretches across 200 acres of terraced mountainous terrain. The site, planted to a quad trellis, ekes out between 2 and 2.5 tons per acre. The iron rich red clay and decomposed volcanic ash, are poor in nutrients and have difficulty retaining water. This combination stresses the vines to produce small berries with deeply structured spicy notes and robust tannins. This is one of the more technologically advanced sites, using "stress modules" to determine ripening and enables us to do multiple picks for optimal ripeness.