2017 FORAGER Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendocino County
- FORAGER Mendocino Cabernet Sauvignon illustrates that careful viticulture, experienced selection and maturation of grapes grown in diverse locations can deliver delicious flavors and interest.
- Excellent, mature site, classic Bordelaise winemaking techniques and careful French oak maturation captures the typicity of this rugged site - and the purity of this noble red grape variety.
Price: $18
VINTAGE 2017
In 2017 we had beautiful sunny skies and clear, cool nights throughout the entire season. It was a bit late, and allowed us to tinker along the seams, to refine the minutiae, rather than make broad strokes to save a crop - or glean the best from not-so-great lots and cull out the ones to sell off.
VINEYARDS - TERRIFIC SITES
This is our third forage in Mendocino and this site, in the western part of Redwood Valley, feature rich, loamy red soils with decomposed alluvial deposits. This seventeen year-old site has wide diurnal temperature fluctuations, promoting maturity but also keeping acidity in check. Cabernet Sauvignon thrives here, and it shows in the finished wine.
WINEMAKING
Harvested on September 17, these loosely-clustered Cabernet Sauvignon bunches were mostly destemmed, crushed and cold soaked for 2 days in ten-ton open-top fermenters. Fermentation began with the classic Prise de Mousse yeast, a neutral selection which allows varietal purity. Warm fermentation temperatures (90°F) and 2 pigeage (punch-downs) per day helped build structure, color and texture. After a gentle press, ML took place and was followed by twelve months maturation (with two rackings and egg white-fining) and a kiss of French oak which all enhanced explosive texture and complexity. We call our wine FORAGER to illustrate how growing, gathering & judiciously blending small lots of delicious grapes can deliver serious flavor and interest.
WINE FACTS
Regional Composition: 100% Mendocino AVA (Redwood Valley)
Varietal Composition: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Maturation: 25% new French cooperage for twelve months