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The Reserve Series...2007 Cabernet Sauvignon - El Dorado 'Reserve'
Source: Duarte Vineyard and Gold Hill Vineyard, El Dorado County
Harvest Date: September 30, 2007
Brix at Harvest: 26
Time in Barrel: 18 months
Type of Oak: Neutral French & American
Alcohol: 15.9%
Bottled: April 9, 2009
Production: 251 cases
Winemaker's Notes: The Cabernet Sauvignon vines that produced this wine are now 24 years old and are near their optimal maturity. Growing at altitudes of 3000 and 1200 feet respectively these vines have a late ripening cycle and produce grapes that show how good Sierra Foothill Cabernet Sauvignon can be. After hard-harvesting and crushing the grapes were fermented over a seven-day period in open-top containers. The must was punched down by hand four times a day to extract maximum color and varietal character. The wine was pressed in a small manually operated vertical basket press. After settling the wine was aged in neutral French and American oak barrels to let as much varietal character show through as possible. The wine was racked by gravity flow only, never pumped, and was bottled unfined and unfiltered.
This Cabernet Sauvignon benefits from the addition of 5% each of Merlot and Cabernet Franc as well as 2.5% each of Petit Verdot and Malbec. The rich cocoa scents and low tannins complement the Bordeaux-style fruit gem. This wine has classy varietal character with powerful berry flavors and a velvet finish. The wine is unusually approachable for a Cabernet Sauvignon still in its youth and will improve in the cellar until at least 2011 while maintaining its intense varietal character.
Bright Hope Designs