2003
Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon, Stagecoach Vineyard Napa Valley
Winemaker's Notes
Our third release from the Stagecoach Vineyard reveals the extraordinary attributes of this vineyard. This is an expansive wine, massive yet well-delineated, possessing great depth and vibrancy. Its inky, black garnet hues give way to blackberry, plum and licorice aromas, blanketed with dusty earth and leather. The palate explodes in a muscular display of black fruit, cassis and cedar, with elements of underbrush and sandalwood adding complexity. Luxuriant flavors persist through a powerful and sinewy mid-palate, to a never-ending mocha-tinged finish punctuated by chewy, fine-grained tannins. This is a cellar-worthy wine that is graciously giving more than a glimpse of its prodigious gifts.
Vineyard
Owner/Manager
Jan Krupp
Vineyard
Stagecoach Vineyard
Appellation
Napa Valley
Clones
7 & 337
Vineyard Age
7 years
Site
Mountaintop with rocky, red volcanic,clay-loam soils with southwest exposure
Yield
2.5 tons/acre
Harvest
Harvest Date
October 19 – 22, 2003
Harvest Brix
26.1° - 26.5°
Growing Season
The growing season was comprised of cool spring weather followed by moderate temperatures throughout summer. Consistent work in the vineyard was required to maximize sun exposure and encourage full flavor development in the fruit. Much needed hot weather in mid-September secured an excellent harvest.
Winemaking
• Hand-harvested grapes
• Fermented in small, closed-top stainless steel fermentors with indigenous yeasts
• 5 to 7 day cold soak, 28 to 36 days total maceration
• Spontaneous malolactic fermentation in barrels ; 4 months to completion
• Aged 21 months in Taransaud, Seguin Moreau, Bossuet, Radoux and Alain Fouquet French oak barrels; 100% new
• Varietal Composition: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
• Unblended, unfined and unfiltered; Bottled July 2005
