We had normal rainfall with rains continuing through Mid May, which gave the vines a good start in Spring due to this good amount of moisture in the soil. There was no rain during the growing season, as the rains did not start until the end of November 2019. The temperatures were relatively mild, with only a few heat spikes during the summer. The above helped us harvest grapes that have made another top vintage.

After picking, hand-harvested fruit was fermented with utmost care and the resulting wine was aged 20 months in 60% new oak (100% French), with frequent racking the first year.

Our 2019 vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes is again from 4 distinctly different vineyard sites we have used the last few years, one from Mt. Veeder, the core vineyard I have been working with for almost ten years. This was nicely rounded out by grapes from Howell Mountain, Coombsville, and the bench lands of Atlas Peak. The one difference this year is that a little over 4% of the blend is equal parts Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc from Howell Mountain, which contributes a little added nuance to the nose.

The wine shimmers with a stunning deep garnet color and exudes wonderful intensity and lovely complex notes as soon as the cork is pulled. Some of the bountiful aromas are crushed blueberries, black currants, cassis, and hints of freshly grated nutmeg and rosemary. The well integrated fruit carries over to the palate, with wonderfully balanced structure, and ample but supple tannins that lead to a long, polished finish.