2017 was another drought year, but on par, if not better, than 2013, yielding another crop of smaller-berried fruit that produced a intense wine, and should stand out for decades to come. Compared to last year, 2017 produced medium sized berries, which means a fantastic ratio of skins to juice, leading to higher levels of color and tannin. We had a few heat spikes in late July, and the weather was generally dry, warm even and consistent throughout the season. We picked the Cabernet under ideal conditions in September, and put to barrel a few weeks later, well in advance of the fires.

Winemaker Notes

We hand sorted our grapes both prior to and after de-stemming, and following a four day whole berry maceration and cold soak, we began primary fermentation. After nearly three weeks, the wine was gently pressed-off and racked to 80% new Darnajou and Ermitagee 36 month-aged tight grain French Oak barrels to complete a slow secondary fermentation for another few months. As with all our cabernets, it will be bottle aged for around 24 months before its release.

91 - "The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Pellet Vineyard, which includes some Merlot and Petit Verdot, offers a rich, medium-bodied style as well as solid purity in its blue fruits, violets, and sappy herb-like aromas and flavors. It's not a blockbuster yet has rock solid elegance, fine tannins, and outstanding length. It's a classy wine to enjoy over the coming 15 years or so.”– Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com

90 – “The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon is soft, fruity and easygoing - all qualities that suggest it will offer its best drinking sooner rather than later. Sweet red berries, crushed flowers and sweet spices are all laced together in this pretty, silky, mid-weight Cabernet. The 2017 is a bit light, but it is nicely balanced and offers plenty of immediacy in exchange.” – Anthony Galloni, Vinous Media