2003
Cabernet Sauvignon
Clos Pegase
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nature favored us with early warmth in 2003, yet a cool and wet period in late spring slowed the rate of vine growth and gave us a long growing season. The weather during early September was mild, with our anomalously early Malbec ripening on September 6th. A heat spike at the end of September tripped the Cabernet Sauvignon into ripening mode, and harvest commenced in mid-October. Palisades vineyard, on an alluvial fan in Calistoga, provides the core of our Cabernet Sauvignon with wines of deep color and intensity. Mitsuko’s vineyard in the cool Carneros region of Napa Valley has a tiny portion known as ‘Graveyard Hill’, with deep gravelly soils. These warm up earlier in the spring, leading to optimum ripening at the limits of the season, and giving us wines of elegance and finesse. The Home Ranch on the valley floor in Calistoga has deep and fertile soil allowing our Cabernet Franc and Malbec to thrive, bringing fragrance and structure to the blend. Applebone surrounds the winery, and the close-planted (4 feet x 4 feet) vines actively compete with each other and so tame vigor and increase the intensity of the fruit. The individual parcels of wine were racked at the completion of malolactic fermentation in the winter of 2004. In April 2004, the wines were racked, blended and returned to barrel. An additional racking in July 2004 led to a total elevage of 18 months. On the nose, luscious blackberry and cassis fruit tones combine with smoky, savory toasted oak. The palate is dense and solid on entry, with rich ripe fruit on the palate and fine tannins leading to a long finish.