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What We Say 2002 Hillside Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
LIMITED LIRBARY RAID:
Today’s delicious selection from Dry Creek Valley’s Collier Falls is a very limited library allocation. Be sure to pick up a few bottles of this delicious wine while you can today.
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Mission Codename: Home & History
Operative: Agent White
Objective: Secure a limited allocation of a library Cabernet from our new friends at Collier Falls.
Mission Status: Accomplished!
Current Winery: Collier Falls
Wine Subject: 2002 Hillside Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Backgrounder:
The Dry Creek Valley across the Russian River from Alexander Valley has a generally cooler and wetter climate which makes the growing season longer and more flexible than neighboring appellations. This is an area best known for producing rather incredible Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Merlot as well as other red varietals.
Today’s limited release Cabernet selection is 97% Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Estate Cabernet Franc & Petit Verdot and was aged for 22 months in French oak barrels after an extended fermentation and maceration.
Wine Spies Tasting Profile:
Look – Dark and beautiful garnet with a dense but clear heart. Along the edges the color shines through a deep garnet and when swirled, this wine leaves alternating fast thin legs as well as slower slightly thicker legs on the side of the glass. Some sediment settles on the cork and in the glass.
Smell – Ripe and rich blackberry, cassis and a distinct red and black cherry aroma are framed by cedar cigar box, toasted and smokey notes and soft developed spice. Soft notes of black licorice, green herbal and pepper and earth adds to the complex and fruit forward nose of this wine.
Feel – Rich, smooth and warm on the palate with finely textured and developed tannins leading the way and followed by a touch of minerality and acidity that lingers on the tongue.
Taste – Rich, ripe and generous cassis, cherry and other dark fruit linger with the cedar box and other wood aromas found on the nose. The black licorice, green herbs, spice and earth meld with notes of bittersweet chocolate.
Finish – Medium in length and clean with the fruit fading first followed by the other complex flavors. The finely textured tannins and mineral feel linger for quite a bit longer as just hints of the fruit cling on the tongue.
Conclusion – The 2002 Collier Falls Hillside Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is rich, plush and smooth wine that is drinking very well right now. If your a fan of plush Cabernet then this wine is a perfect choice at an unbelievable price. A great wine for burgers, tips or skirt steak. Enjoy this wine right now or cellar for the next couple years, but don’t wait too long, this wine is hitting its strive right now. Be sure to let this wine fully open to reveal all its aromas and flavors.
Wine Spies Vineyard Check:
Collier Falls wines can be tasted at the Family Wineries of Dry Creek Tasting Room and can be seen in this satellite photo.
What the Winery Says
Collier Falls
Awards & Accolades:
Silver Medal – San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
Silver Medal – LA Wine and Spirits Competition
Silver Medal – Long Beach Grand Cru
Silver Medal – West Coast Wine Competition
Silver Medal – North of the Gate Wine Competition
About This Wine:
The wine shows a dark ruby color. The bouquet has a definitive cassis aroma with hints of blackberry. The mouthfeel is rich and full with continued nuances of cassis and chocolate through the mid-palate. The wine finishes cleanly with red berries, licorice and velvety smooth tannins. The 2002 vintage is well suited for aging.
About The Winery:
Collier Falls is located in Healdsburg, California’s beautiful Dry Creek Valley. We produce 6 red wines from 20 acres of sustainably-farmed hillside vineyards in Sonoma County. Our name comes from a waterfall bordering our Zinfandel vineyards.
In 1997, Barry and Susan Collier purchased these vineyards from Ferarri-Carano Winery and founded Collier Falls. Our premiere release was the 1997 Collier Falls Zinfandel which earned a 90 rating in Wine Spectator, and our current 2007 Zinfandel release scored 92 points in Wine & Spirits.
These hills represent our home, our history and our future, so we treat each vine with great care. They reward us with spectacular fruit, allowing us to create wines that express the true flavors and characteristics of this wonderful winegrowing region.
In 1992, Barry and Susan Collier were living in Los Angeles when they decided to spend a weekend in Wine Country for Barry’s birthday. It turned out to be a vacation that would change their lives, and 5 years later the couple had sold their home and were growing grapes and making wine in Sonoma County.
Of course, the transition wasn’t quite that simple. Susan moved to northern California to study viticulture in Santa Rosa, while Barry stayed behind to wrap up his old life with Prism Entertainment, the company he founded that went on to produce over 50 films.
While Susan was studying, she was also busy looking for the right property in Wine Country, and after searching throughout Napa and Sonoma it was Dry Creek Valley that she fell in love with. “The valley was intimate and the people were so friendly and genuine. It just felt right.” Or as Barry put it, “I left the highway, turned onto Dry Creek Road and found heaven.”
For the Colliers, this was no retirement, but instead a chance to get their hands dirty, challenge themselves in a new industry, and enjoy the outdoors together as farmers and winegrowers in a spectacular setting. Now, most days you’ll still find Barry in the vineyard tending to the grapes with his iPod playing and his Labradors JoJo and Rogue close by.
Sadly, Susan died from ALS in 2007. But her passion for growing grapes and drinking wine, her appreciation for nature and the land, and her infectious love of life, people and Dry Creek Valley are represented in every bottle of Collier Falls we produce. 100% of the proceeds from our Collier Falls Syrah du Soleil goes towards ALS research.
Technical Analysis:
Harvest Dates: September 16, 2002
Average Degree Brix: 25
Bottling Date: August 2004
Blend: 97% Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Estate Cabernet Franc & Petit Verdot
pH at Bottling: 3.38
TA: 0.54 g/100 ml
Alcohol: 14.2%
Aging: 22 months in 100% French oak barrels
Fermentation: Closed top, aerative pump-overs
Skin Contact: 45 days (alcoholic fermentation and extended maceration)
Racked: 5 times previous to bottling
Total Cases: 990 750 ml – 15 1.5 L
