Appellation: Napa Valley.
Property: The Grasso’s designated Olive Ridge Vineyard is located on their Napa Valley Estate Compound, in the Coombsville area, east of the City of Napa.
Clones: The vines are planted on 1103P, clone 7 on the slopes and 5C, clone 7 in the flats. Vine Age: 13-16 years.
Trellis: We utilize a GDC quadrilateral trellis system with the row direction planted north/south to take advantage of east/west sun.
Site: The soil is a rocky/cobbly alluvial normally found in hillside vineyards.
Farming: The vineyard is never tilled but mowed to prevent erosion. Canopy management is constantly worked throughout the growing season. Total yield in the vineyard is limited to 2.9 to 3.5 tons per acre.
Date: Hand harvested on Tuesday, October 16, 2007 Brix: 25.6 ° at harvest Season: The year began dry with some very cold days and single-digit nighttime temperatures. The season continued dry, with about 60% of normal precipitation. Temperatures were warmer than normal as winter continued into spring resulting in earlier budding, bloom and set in the vineyard. The summer growing season began on the mild to cool side, with few days topping 100 degrees. Heat spikes in September brought the sugar up. We picked right before the forecasted rains. Berries were small but full of Cabernet characteristics.
· 3 days cold soaked. · Combination Punch Down and Pump over 3 times daily. · Total Skin maceration time 20 days. · Barrel aged for 24 months in tight-grained French oak. · Bottled on November 4, 2009. 423 cases made.
This aroma profile has complex layers of plum, baking spices and bay leaf. Palate flavors are deep and velvety with lots of dark fruit, especially plum. Expect to find big and rich mouth-coating tannins, balanced acidity, and a velvety lengthy finish. The wine has great ageing potential.
· ABV: 14.5% - RS: Dry - PH: 3.85 - TA: 0.60 · 100% Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon.