2008 Cabernet Sauvignon

“One of the strongest wines of the vintage, the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon is a worthy rival to Seavey’s gorgeous 2007…The wine’s dense opaque purple color is followed by notes of volcanic ash, burning embers, camphor, blackberries, cassis and cedar. The wine reveals terrific fruit on the attack, a full-bodied mid-palate and a multilayered textural mouthfeel. Dense, rich and pure with noticeable but sweet tannins, this big, formidably endowed Cabernet Sauvignon will age gracefully for 20-25 years.” -Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate (Dec. 2010) 95 points

Tasting Notes

This wine opens with a wonderful aromatic medley of cedar, blackberry compote, cassis and red rose petals supported by notes of graphite, dark cocoa, and anise. The palate reveals many layers of dark fruits and berries plus dark chocolate and tobacco. This wine has formidable body, with bold velvety tannins that provide support for 25+ years of cellaring.

Ratings

Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate (Dec. 2010) – 95 points
“One of the strongest wines of the vintage, the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon is a worthy rival to Seavey’s gorgeous 2007…The wine’s dense opaque purple color is followed by notes of volcanic ash, burning embers, camphor, blackberries, cassis and cedar. The wine reveals terrific fruit on the attack, a full-bodied mid-palate and a multilayered textural mouthfeel. Dense, rich and pure with noticeable but sweet tannins, this big, formidably endowed Cabernet Sauvignon will age gracefully for 20-25 years.”

Vineyard Notes

Seavey’s 19th estate-produced Cabernet, the 2008, was made from grapes that came from vines planted in several different locations of the south-facing hillside vineyard. This year’s crop was significantly smaller than in previous years but very high quality. Weather-related challenges included a Spring with many frost nights plus scant rainfall, a heat spike during fruit set, and then a week-long heat spike over Labor Day. Warm temperatures followed through the rest of the growing season, in the end providing us with excellent ripening and dense, concentrated fruit.

Production Notes

Winemaking style followed classic Bordeaux methods, beginning with whole-berry fermentation, cold soak and native yeast to start fermentation. The wine was aged in French oak barrels (50% new oak) for 18 months before bottling in May 2010.

100% ESTATE GROWN, PRODUCED & BOTTLED, NAPA VALLEY AVA