VINTAGE NOTES
One
of the earliest harvests on record for the Napa Valley, 1987 was
a mild drought year. A heat spell in the beginning of the growing
season partially explains the early harvest as well as the year’s
low yields of both red and white grapes. While frost protection
was not necessary in the spring, temperatures were generally cooler
that usual aside from the heat spell, and the grapes ripened uniformly
without experiencing any extreme changes in their growing environment.
The smaller crop levels and the ripening conditions produced wines
of great complexity and character with exuberant berry flavors supported
by firm structure.
 WINEMAKING NOTES
Harvested
between 8/31 and 9/22 at 22.2° Brix. Fermented in tank; 100%
malolactic fermentation; 13 months in French oak barrels.
"Planted in the early 1970's, this estate vineyard has produced
some of the best Cabernet Sauvignon wines from California. We feel
the 1987 bottling is no exception. The small crop in S.L.V. produced
fruit that is beginning to develop the attractive cedary aromas
we all associate with the classic Cabernet-based wines. Exuberant
berry flavors interest and please the palate. While the decreased
juice to skin ratio from this vintage gave us wine with rich varietal
character and firm tannins, the addition of Merlot from the same
estate vineyard enhanced the layered texture, giving the wine our
characteristic supple mouth feel. Thirteen months in new French
oak barrels followed by moderate egg white fining provided the finishing
touch of elegance to this wine whose aftertaste is persistent and
resonant."
- Warren Winiarski, Release Letter
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