CASE PRICE = $21.99 per bottle (add 12+ quantity to your basket)
Notes from the Winemaker:This rich example of high-altitude Cabernet Sauvignon begins with intense aromas of wild blackberries and ripe red plums. Hints of roasted coffee, cinnamon sugar cookies and clove add to the bouquet. The palate is warm and inviting with notes of dried cherries, fresh blackberries and dark chocolate. These generous flavors linger with dusty spiciness, and the wine is supported by bold tannins that suggest this wine will develop gracefully in the cellar for over the next five to ten years.
The 2008 North Coast growing season was a rollercoaster ride. A second year of drought during the winter left the vines unprotected from the hard frosts that came in spring. This left many growers with unusually low crops, especially in lower lying zones. Obsidian Ridge, at 2640' elevation, was mostly spared as our vines are planted on the steep slopes of the ridge. The subsequent summer was warm and prolonged, with some mild heat spikes beginning at the early part of harvest in September. Our early maturing blocks came off quickly, but cooler weather returned later in the month, and the remaining blocks were given the respite they needed, drawing harvest out until late October in some rows. This variability in the rate of ripening of our different blocks created a spectacular spectrum of component wines, adding particular complexity to the resulting blend.
BLEND:
94% Cabernet Sauvignon
3% Cabernet Franc
3% Petit Verdot
CASES PRODUCED:
7,199
COOPERAGE:
100% Kádár Hungary
50% new
18 months in barrel
Ratings / Reviews
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The
2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Red Hills exhibits minty, black currant fruit
intermixed with hints of crushed rocks, spice and sweet tannin. It is an
elegant, nicely-endowed, mid-weight Cabernet Sauvignon to drink over
the next 7-8 years." - Robert Parker (Dec 2010)
90 Points - Wine Enthusiast Magazine (2007 vintage):"A beautiful Cabernet that shows the promise of this Lake County appellation. Coming off the very good 2006, it shows the same dry balance, but is richer, offering graceful flavors of black currants, anise and herbs. It’s quite a tannic wine that needs a rich steak to balance it." - S.H. (4/1/2010)
"Best of Class and Judges’ Choice" - 2010 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, Jan 2010 (2007 vintage)Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (2007 vintage):"The seamlessly made 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon possesses a dense ruby/purple color as well as melted tannins, full-bodied power, and gorgeous richness as well as length. This harmonious, big Cabernet should prove to be just as good as the 2005, but even more accessible in its youth." - Robert Parker (12/2008)
