VINTAGE NOTES
The
bud break of 1988 was in early March. The vines did not seem to
be affected by the second year of drought in California. In late
March, temperatures rose to the nineties and stayed there until
late April. Then the weather changed. Overcast days, cold nights,
and showers plagued the flowering vines. Yields were down substantially.
As the year’s harvest approached, the vines began shutting
down with the white grapes ripening in flavors before ripening in
pH, Brix, and acid analysis. We waited as long as possible before
harvesting the reds.
 WINEMAKING NOTES
Harvested
between 8/29 and 10/5 at 23.3° Brix. Fermented in tank; 100%
malolactic fermentation; 14 months in French oak barrels.
"The atypical weather patterns of the early 1980's continued with
the 1988 harvest. An unseasonably cool Spring caused the crop to
be smaller but with a concentrated fruit character. As the Summer
drew to a close, the Cabernet grapes showed a wide variety of ripeness.
Taking a gamble on the weather, we waited to begin picking until
we felt the fruit was ready. The gamble paid off and the absence
of rain allowed us to extend the harvest through the first week
of October. The extra time the grapes spent on the vine produced
a wonderful complexity and a promise of great quality in the wine.
"That promise of something special was fulfilled. The 1988
S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon is a beautiful wine abundant with fruit
yet not short on structure or tannin. The black plum and hint of
nutmeg on the nose carries over into the taste but with far more
finesse than one would expect from such an exuberant beginning.
There is a velvety softness to this wine in the mouth and the elegant
tannins contribute to the overall structure and balance. Because
of the small crop, we made no CASK 23 in 1988. The grapes from those
blocks of the S.L.V. vineyard that produce CASK 23 lent all their
classic strength and subtlety to the 1988 S.L.V. This wine can be
savored in its youth but will age with great distinction laid down
in the cellar.
- Warren Winiarski, Release Letter
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