2011 Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District, 3L
available
Supple, supportive tannins create a velvety texture and lengthy finish for this elegant, mineral-laced wine. This impressive 3-liter bottle will be the highlight of your next social gathering. Actual 3-liter bottle, not pictured, is etched glass.
Wine Specs
Vintage
2011
Varietal
Cabernet Sauvignon
Appellation
Stags Leap District
Bottling Date
July 2013
Alcohol %
14.3
Wine Enthusiast
91
Wine Profile
Vineyard Notes
The fruit was sourced from our Twin Peaks Vineyard estate, as well as the hillside terraces of our Poetry Vineyard, and a few, select neighboring growers in the Stags Leap District. The wine is composed of small lots from many of our best blocks, representing a diverse range of carefully selected clones and rootstocks. From exposed, rocky terraces that are volcanic in origin to valley-floor alluvial soils, the breadth of contributing sites translates into a wine of impressive complexity.
Production Notes
Hand harvested in the cool early morning hours, the fruit was immediately subjected to rigorous selection by our three-tiered sorting process, including our cutting edge optical sorter, with a goal of eliminating less-than-perfect berries. The selected fruit was gently delivered to tank via gravity by our crane system, minimizing disruption of berry integrity. Cold soaks lasted approximately five days, and fermentations were managed by a combination of délestage, pumpovers, and punchdowns. Extended maceration ranging from three to four weeks fine-tuned tannin profiles, allowing us to build mouth feel and wine complexity. The wine was aged in French oak barrels, 59% of which were new, for twenty-one months. Final blend is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec.
Winemaker Notes
A pretty bouquet of berry compote and black fig leads to inviting notes of vanilla bean, brioche, and warm spices. Hints of rose petals and anise greet the senses as this lush, weighty wine entices the palate. This seamless expression of fruit, spice, and earth is highlighted by the minerality of crushed rocks, reminiscent of the volcanic rock of the Poetry Vineyard. It is the steep, terraced west-facing slopes of the Poetry vineyard that produce a wine of such purity and concentration that intrigues the senses now yet has the intensity and structure to evolve in the cellar. Tasted February 20024 – Christopher Tynan, Director of Winemaking