FOR SALE AT THE WINERY ONLY
HARVESTED: October 20, 2011
VINEYARD LOCATION: In Saratoga, off the historic Mount Eden Road where some of California\’92s first vines were planted over 100 years ago, set high on a steep southeast facing slope rests the venerable “Lonehawk” vineyard.
SOILS: Deep gravelly loam
BOTTLED: August, 2013
COMPOSITION: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
ALCOHOL: 13.9%
PRODUCTION: 82 cases
WINEMAKER: Colin McNany
VINTAGE NOTES
In the Santa Cruz Mountains we experienced a spring that was colder, wetter and later than usual, delaying budbreak. Rain during bloom affected the crop, creating yields 40% below normal. Summer was cool without major heat spikes. The cool weather did little to help the already late running harvest, and some light October rains made the picking call for us. Fortunately with major canopy management and thinning, we greatly increased the cluster exposure to the sun, adapting and creating the thick skins and lignified seeds we need to create our flagship wine.
WINEMAKING NOTES
Lonehawk is our highest-end Cabernet vineyard, as well as the only vineyard designate. The entire lot was de-stemmed, hand sorted, and tipped into a 3 ton open top stainless steel tank. The fruit was cold soaked for 5 days and then inoculated with the BDX commercial yeast strain. The ferment received a mixture of punchdowns and pump-overs to promote extraction. The wine is kept on skins up to 25 days via extended maceration. Aged in a mix of 25% new American and French oak for 22 months with 100% native malolactic fermentation. Racked once to tank, gravity feed to bottle.
TASTING NOTES
A big dense wine, this Cabernet will give any steak a run for its money. Juicy blackberries, dried lavender juniper spice and cigar box ramble throughout this tannic, well structured, mountain-grown wine.
CELLARING
Enjoy between now and 10 years.