Current Releases

2009 Rattlesnake Hill Cabernet Sauvignon
Spring Mountain District

Harvest Date: October 12th, 2009

Grape Source: Terraces 50%, Rattlesnake Hill 50%, 100% Estate Fruit

Planted: 1984, 1989

Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Aging: 23 months in French Oak Barrels, Mixed Coopers
Medium + toast oak, 90% new

Alcohol: 14.2%

Total Production: 560 Cases

Release Date: January 2012

Winemaker: David Tate

Vineyard & Vintage Notes: Rattlesnake Hill is a small rocky knoll on the estate, located at 2050 ft elevation on Spring Mountain. The hills position allows optimal sun exposure while being above the fog line. The Cabernet growing on this rocky boulder filled soil is one of the first picked lots of our estate. The 2009 was a consistently warm vintage on top of our estate. With the constant sunlight the grape bunches ripened consistently causing even physiological ripeness and allowing us to harvest in one full pass.

Winemaking Notes: The fruit for this wine when harvested was cold soaked for 4-5 days and fermented in small bins and tanks; punched down or pumped over 2 to 3 times a day. The maceration times were 12 to 13 days. Once fermentation was complete the wine was pressed off into 90% new French oak barrels for aging. The wine has been racked four times during its near two year maturation time in the cellar.

Tasting Notes: Deep purple in color the 2009 Rattlesnake is a very serious intense wine. Fresh cassis and mashed flowers fill the nose with beautiful intense vanilla, without being over oaky. Beautiful peppery spices and wet volcanic earth as well as pure cocoa nib play evenly with the fruit. An intensely rich wine the fruit explodes on the palette with ripe pomegranate and concentrated blueberry. More vanilla coats the mountain minerality on the finish of this dynamic wine. Very firm tannins are matched with mountain acidity suggesting long bottle age is in order. Hold for 15-18 years (2026-2029).

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