2016 Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon, Calistoga
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Intense flavors of warm mulberry and mineral tinged cassis aromas luxuriate across the palate followed by spice notes of cardamom, clove, and ancho chile. This vineyard’s signature black truffle note is intertwined with loamy gravel notes, black peppercorns, and grilled steak drippings. This wine is imbued with a wide expansive finish that lasts more than a minute and never loses its focus.
Wine Specs
Vintage
2016
Varietal
Cabernet Sauvignon
Appellation
Calistoga
Bottling Date
July 2018
Alcohol %
15.2
Wine Profile
Vineyard Notes
Located at the base of Diamond Mountain in the western portion of the Calistoga appellation, our Calistoga estate vineyard has twenty acres of vineyard planted mostly to Cabernet Sauvignon. The gravelly loam soils are volcanic in origin with alluvial influence made evident by copious amounts of water-rolled gravel and large cobbles. While Calistoga can experience quite hot daytime temperatures, our estate is protected from the afternoon sun by Diamond Mountain to our west. Cool breezes from the Pacific are drawn in by the narrow gap between Napa and Sonoma Counties, further mediating the hot days. The result is powerful, rich Cabernet with balanced acidity.
Production Notes
Hand harvested in the cool dark of night, the fruit was brought to the winery and 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, retaining perfect, whole berries. Cold soaks lasted approximately five days, and fermentations were managed by a combination of délestage and pump overs. Extended maceration, ranging from three to four weeks, fine-tuned tannin profiles, allowing us to build structure and wine complexity. The wine was aged in French oak barrels, 89% of which were new, for twenty-one months.
Winemaker Notes
Atop the invitingly seductive and opaque purple colored 2016 Calistoga, wafts a lavish perfume of spring violet and lilacs. Intense flavors of warm mulberry and mineral tinged cassis aromas luxuriate across the palate followed by spice notes of cardamom, clove, and ancho chile. This vineyard’s signature black truffle note is intertwined with loamy gravel notes, black peppercorns, and grilled steak drippings. This wine is imbued with a wide expansive finish that lasts more than a minute and never loses its focus.
Production
547 cases