BRION 2004 CABERNET SAUVIGNON, NAPA VALLEY

Tasting Notes

Dark, concentrated and rich, the deep red color is accented with vibrant purple hues. Seductive blueberry, cassis, warm morello cherry and raspberry fruits in the nose lead to deeply nuanced chocolate, bergamot orange, sage and cedary oak tones. The aroma is shaded with a violet floral note and smoky barrique. In the mouth the well-integrated tannins give an incredible, generous, velvety, mouth-coating texture with tremendous length and freshness. In sum, the wine is seamlessly complex and balanced. Beautiful now, will age well for at least a decade. Best from 2009-2014. 313 Cases produced.

Vineyards

Our Cabernet Grapes came from the Bennett 1st Street Vineyard in Coombsville, a southerly appellation of Napa Valley. The vineyard, although staying warm and dry, is generally a little cooler than many Napa Valley vineyards and therefore allows more hang-time for the grapes. This brings greater concentration and layering to the finished wine. Blocks 6 and 8 are upper hillside sites facing east-southeast. The vineyard soil is rocky loam, which provides good drainage and low nutrient concentration. Under these stresses the vines work hard to produce a limited amount of fruit.

Vintage Report

High quality and reduced yields characterized the 2004 vintage, which started out quite warm in early spring, then settled into a balmy weather pattern through July and most of August where mornings were cool and afternoon temperatures stayed in the low to mid 90's. However, on August 27th a three-week heat spell began with many days registering over 100 degrees. As a result, some of the ripening fruit became dehydrated and crop yields were reduced by up to 40 percent.

Winemaking

Our job in crafting the 2004 wines was to moderate over-ripe characteristics, but from the very beginning the aromas and flavors drifting out of the fermenters signaled outstanding quality. Color and extract were high. In barrel, the Cabernet appeared rich and forward in structure; characteristics that have continued to evolve and develop with bottle age.

Following a 4-day cold soak, the fermentation was continuous and finished quickly. Potent concentration in the finishing wines gave us great hope of producing an outstanding Cabernet from the 2004 vintage. Following a 21 day extended maceration, the wine was pressed and transferred to small French oak barrels for aging. The wine was bottled in September 2006 following 20 months maturation in barrel and further aged in bottle until ready for release.

General Info

Composition: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Winemaker: Massimo Monticelli
Appellation: 100% Napa Valley
Alcohol: 14.5%
Vineyards: Bennett-Cabernet-Blocks 6 and 8
Bottled: Sept. 2006
Oak Profile: 20 Months in 100% new French Oak
Production: 313 cases
Harvested: October 21st, 2004