2022 Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaker Tasting Impressions

This wine has some of my very favorite hallmarks of classic Cabernet Sauvignon. On the nose, you are met by sweet plums and pepper. The flavors leap out at you with black plum, all-spice, cassis and a touch of poblano chili in Adobo sauce. The pyrazines are well-developed and give the wine an additional savory red-chili aroma.  That palate is not heavy at all, but balanced and refined, showing great acidity and freshness with a healthy dose of tannin. This wine will age very well. - Winemaker Scott Kirkpatrick

The Growing Season

The 2022 vintage in Lake County exhibited great fruit quality, with wines exuding vibrant, flavorful fruit characteristics.  The growing season started off with cool temperatures and a bit of rain in spring, and throughout the growing season temperatures remained cooler overall – more in line with the “normal” weather patterns of the past.  Harvest began a few weeks later than the previous few years, but then moved rapidly due to some hot days in September.  However, we picked before the heat spell, and fortunately Lake County grapes deal with heat well, due to their more resilient, high-altitude skins.  There were a few cool days around mid-September and a little rain, but fruit flavors had already developed, and many lots were harvested at slightly lower Brix levels.  Overall, crop size was larger than usual with the quality of fruit being on par with last year’s outstanding vintage.

Winemaking

Harvest involved a combination of nighttime hand picking and some mechanical harvesting, all of which began at midnight to ensure optimal freshness.  Once at the winery the grapes underwent a relatively cool fermentation to enhance aromatic qualities and our desired fruit characteristics. Malolactic fermentation was conducted with neutral French oak to foster flavor integration between the dark cherry and ripe fruit flavors while looking to achieve optimal balance between the tannins and ideal acidity.

The Land

The Kelsey Bench AVA, formed by a pyroclastic flow over 10,000 years ago, serves as a transitional zone between the volcanic Mayacamas Mountains and the alluvial Clear Lake basin. This geographical positioning results in vineyard soils that exhibit a combination of mildly rocky, red volcanic components and alluvial loams. Positioned at an elevation ranging from 1,350 to 1,450 feet, the vineyard experiences significant diurnal temperature variations of 50°F, influenced by the nearby lake and mountains. This temperature fluctuation contributes to the development of wines with pronounced acidity, refined tannin structure, and robust, intricate fruit profiles.