2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
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Winemaker Notes
Our 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon displays an incredible array of blackberry, Asian spice, mineral, coffee bean and floral aromas with a hint of pencil lead, pain grille and earthy notes. In your mouth, the wine is very complex, showing an amazing core of ripe fruit. Seamless, very polished tannins caress every millimeter of your palate. Beautifully balanced with a terrific, long finish —this wine demonstrates a great sense of place.
The 2005 Vintage
The 2005 vintage started off as a big challenge because the previous year had been a freeze year with very little fruit to harvest. I was somewhat anxious and worried about how the vines would come back. We spent extra effort pruning, shoot thinning and crop thinning to make sure the fruit came back evenly.
Mother Nature provided us with a classic wine-growing season. Bud break started around the third week in April, and very warm, sunny days filled the summer. We had plenty of heat units to fully ripen the grapes. Then the weather cooled off a little earlier than usual, dropping into the 80s around the end of August. This cooling-down period maximized flavor development. The wines from the 2005 vintage have terrific fruit intensity, show great natural acidity and are beautifully balanced.
Wine Specifics:
Varietal(s): 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 3% Malbec, 1% Petit Verdot
Vineyard(s): 60% Seven Hills Vineyard, 40% Pepper Bridge Vineyard
Appellation: 100% Walla Walla Valley
Oak Program: 56% new oak, 44% used oak; 100% French oak
Time in Barrels: 22 months
Harvest Date(s): September 19 through October 22, 2005
Brix at Harvest: 25.5
Total Acidity: 0.56 g/ml
pH: 3.75
Finished Alcohol: 13.9% by volume
Total Production: 2,465 (9-liter cases) and 60 cases of magnums
Bottling Date: July 2007
Anticipated Release Date: May 2, 2008
Suggested Retail Price: $55.00