Artesa Vineyards & Winery - Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Classic Tier Reserve Tier Limited Release Wines

Albariño
Carneros Estate

Cabernet Franc
Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Alexander Valley Chardonnay
Carneros Chardonnay
Napa Valley Gewurztraminer
San Benito County
Select Late Harvest Pinot Noir
Carneros

Above the Alexander Valley floor looms our mountainside estate. Small intensely flavored berries result from our rocky soils and western sun drenched slopes. We have planted all 5 Bordeaux varietals to guarantee the broadest possible flavor palate to blend from. Extensive shoot, leaf and fruit thinning in the vineyard insure that we have even and full ripening.

Winemaking
Following hand-harvesting, the grapes were de-stemmed only (whole berries). Fermentations were conducted in a combination of open-top vessels with a punch-down device and closed tanks with gentle cap irrigators. Several types of yeast were used for both inoculated and uninoculated fermenting. Most lots were pressed directly to barrel, and malolactic fermentations finished in barrel. Post-fermentation, selected lots received extended maceration for further phenolic development. After one year, the wines were racked and returned to barrel for an additional year of aging.

Tasting Notes
Concentrated flavors of cassis and raspberry are complimented with multiple layers of clove, milk chocolate, vanilla, nutmeg and a hint of bay leaf. Finely knit together and rich while having sufficient tannin backbone for aging. This wine will be delicious for well over a decade.

Alcohol content, 14.5% by volume.
722 cases produced.