Aromas of wild berries, violets and crushed stone open onto a palate of abundant blackberry, blueberry and cranberry flavors. Notes of cardamom and clove complement the fruit and rich, velvety tannins broaden the palate. This wonderfully fragrant and generously textured Cabernet will continue to evolve beautifully over the next decade.
Bale clay loam from State Ranch
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Yountville, Napa Valley
1990 and 2005
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon clone 7 and 4 on 101-14 rootstock
14.5 acres
Vertical shoot positioning (VSP)
State Ranch is planted on well-drained Bale clay loam.
State Ranch is located northeast of the town of Yountville. The 23-acre vineyard is divided into two parcels by State Lane Road and consists of both older and younger vines. Many excellent wines are produced from this area, in part due to the rocky, loam soil which has excellent drainage throughout the year. The vines, as well as the clusters, are moderate in size and the vineyard gets full sun throughout the day. Nickel & Nickel selects fruit from 14.5 acres of the vineyard.
September 23, 2015
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
15-16 days
17 months in French oak
August 2018
2006
This cooler Yountville site experienced a growing season similar to 2014, with budbreak in March and bloom in May. During the warm summer months, light leaf pulling around each cluster gave the fruit just the right amount of sun exposure, and the September heat quickly and evenly ripened fruit in all of our blocks. We night-harvested all four blocks on the same day—a rare occurrence!—to ensure the Cabernet came in at peak maturity.