Our Bordeaux-style blend of 18% George's Cabernet Sauvignon,
52% Lone Oak Cabernet Sauvignon, and 30% Cabernet Franc, all aged
in French Oak for 22 months and blended during the second year.
The Vintage
The 1999 growing season was generally dryer and cooler than normal.
The first rains in November 1998 gave the vines a good post-harvest
drink. December and most of January were dry, and the last rain
fell on April 11th for a total of almost 23 inches, or 80% of
normal. First budbreak occurred on March 5th, and an early April
freeze caused some fruit loss. After this, the growing season
continued cooler than normal, pushing harvest well into October,
even with one hot spell that took the temperature well over 100°
F.
Fermentation and Aging
The grapes were picked by hand in multiple lots from October
2 to 27, destemmed, and fermented in small lots with hand punch
down four times a day. After pressing, the wine went through malolactic
fermentation and 22 months of barrel aging in vineyard lots. The
final blend was made in July 2001, and 292 cases were bottled
in August 2001.
The Vineyards
A blend of grapes from three vineyards. The oldest, George's, is 2
acres established in 1972 under the tutelage of legendary winemaker
Martin Ray, who provided cuttings from the original Paul Masson vineyards,
which Ray owned in the 1930's and 1940's. Next is Lone Oak, a 6-acre
Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard planted in 1991 in the northeast corner
of our property and trained to double cordon trellising. The slope of
the south and west facing vineyard varies from level on the ridge to
35 degrees. The vineyard is dominated by a 100-year old California Oak
and provides commanding views of Santa Clara Valley. Finally, our five
acres of Cabernet Franc vines date back to the original stock brought
to our “Chaine d’Or” region by French settler and
grape expert Pierre C. Pourroy around the turn of the century.
Our vines were planted in 1985 with cuttings from Congress Springs on
west-facing slopes at the western edge of our property.
