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Cabernet Sauvignon - Estate

Cabernet Sauvignon - Estate Wine Details
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Description: Pour into your glass and gaze in wonder at this beautiful dark red wine. Swirl and breathe in the interesting mélange of Bing cherry, plum, minerals and mocha found in the aromas. Take a sip. The mouthfeel is vast and sumptuous followed by concentrated flavors of sweet cherry, blackberry, blueberry, minerals and dried herbs. All intertwined with a generous (but not overdone) backbone of oak. Everything is in balance--fruit, oak, acidity and tannins--and will meld and age gracefully for at least the next 3 - 7 years. A 20% blending of Estate Merlot was added to soften and round-out the mid-palette. Both components were aged for 36 months in primarily American (75%) oak, a third of which were new. This is our first-ever bottling of Estate Cabernet. The vines were 6 years old for this vintage and are already showing great maturity. The Midnight Estate Vineyard is a west-side, hilly, rocky, low-yield vineyard which produces exceptionally concentrated fruit. Try this wine and taste how you will be rewarded by hiding a few bottles of this Cabernet in you cellar for several years!

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.
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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