2004
Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon, Hyde Vineyard Carneros, Napa Valley
Winemaker's Notes
This hedonistic offering from the Hyde Vineyard seduces with big aromas of black fruit and underbrush. The palate is explosive with layers of chambord, blueberry and cigar box; the elegant, graphite core holding court beneath, and leading to a long finish of fine-grained tannins. Alcohol 14.6%
Warm weather in spring led to an early budbreak. A summer of unusually high temperatures resulted in a very early harvest. Consistent work in the vineyards was the key to keeping vines and fruit in balance and assuring even ripening. The resulting cabernets are bold wines, with great density and lots of chewy tannins.
Winemaking
• Hand-harvested grapes
• Fermented in 5-ton closed-top stainless steel fermentors with indigenous yeasts
• 6-day cold soak, 29 days total maceration
• Spontaneous malolactic fermentation in barrels; 4 months to completion
• Aged 21 months French oak barrels; 80% new :Taransaud, Seguin Moreau, Alain Fouquet, Demptos, Remond, Bossuet
• Varietal composition: 100% cabernet sauvignon
• Unblended, unfined and unfiltered; Bottled July 2006
