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Wine Details
Price:
Description:
Harvested in late October and early November, the 1999 Frazier Cabernet Sauvignon with its very low yield promised a wine of extraordinary concentration. Through a vigorous pumpover regime, followed by extended maceration periods of 38 days on average, we believe this to be the finest Cabernet Sauvignon we have released.
As is our practice, the free run wine from each individual vineyard block was drawn off the fermenters and was moved to 100% new French oak barrels for aging. Each separate wine lot was nurtured through quarterly barrel rackings in the first year before blending. In September of 2000, 6% Merlot was added to enhance the full impression of fruit aromas and flavors. The wine was allowed to develop further with an additional 9 months of aging with another 1.5% Merlot added prior to bottling in July 2001.
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Varietal Definition
Cabernet Sauvignon:
Cabernet Sauvignon is the most widely planted and significant among the five dominant varieties in France’s Bordeaux region, as well as the most successful red wine produced in California. Though it was thought to be an ancient variety, recent genetic studies at U.C. Davis have determined that Cabernet Sauvignon is actually the hybrid offspring of Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc. Cabernet Sauvignon berries are small with black, thick and very tough skin. This toughness makes the grapes fairly resistant to disease and spoilage and able to withstand some autumn rains with little or no damage. It is a mid to late season ripener. These growth characteristics, along with its flavor appeal have made Cabernet Sauvignon one of the most popular red wine varieties worldwide.
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Merlot:
Merlot is known as a Noble Bordeaux varietal. Although it came to France in the first century, it was not named until the 1880s. Merlot was originally used only for blending, as it is soft and compliant, very useful in softening other Bordeaux wines like Cabernets. Recently in California and Chile it became popular as a 100% varietal wine. Merlot tends to be easier to grow in a variety of soil conditions and is harvested earlier in the year than Cabernet. Although most Merlots are made to be drunk earlier, there are many with complexities of a Cabernet. Flavors of plum, black cherry, violet, chocolate and orange pair well with rich, red pasta dishes, hearty chicken dishes, and any beef combination that you fancy. The perfect match of course is chocolate. Not only does the chocolate compliment the wine and vice-versa, but the essence of both flavors linger eternally.
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