The color is deep, dark and brilliant. The nose is true to Cabernet with a bit of leather, some allspice and cedar. The taste unfolds in long linear strokes from front to back. The tannin is definitively Cabernet typical but without being obtrusive or dominant.

All the elements are harmonious and integrated. You have to look for the oak; it is so much a part of the whole experience. The wine is dry yet gentle for a Cab. It has good balance across the pallet, every corner sensitized, no holes or blanks.

Over all the balance is toward bright fruit and suggests this Cabernet will have a long life. In the winter of 2016 at this writing the wine is still very young and a bit closed in. Another year of bottle age will profit the profile and a long decanting is called for at this earlier stage. All our 2011 reds are showing unexpected youth and potential for very long cellar aging.

Vineyard Notes

Five Sonoma Valley vineyards under contract with Deerfield supplied grapes for this blend. The Cabernet is from four distinct terroirs, an upper mountain slope, a rocky mountain valley, and a steep terraced hillside, all in the Sonoma Valley AVA. This contributed to the complexity of the Cabernet flavors, and structure.

The varietals rounding out this Meritage style blend were from two vineyards each. This is more than a blend of varietals. It is a blend of places, distinctive and unique. It is uniquely Sonoma and uniquely Deerfield.