2004
Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon, Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard St. Helena, Napa Valley
Winemaker's Notes
Our second vintage from Andy Beckstoffer’s Dr. Crane vineyard is an opulent and full-bodied cabernet sauvignon, red/black in the glass and perfumed with black cherry and clove. It possesses ample backbone and chewy tannins but is already showing generous blue and black fruits on the palate, and accents of toasty oak with a touch of vanilla on the finish. Alcohol 14.8%
Vineyard
Owner/Manager
Andy Beckstoffer
Vineyard
Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard
Appellation
St. Helena, Napa Valley
Clones
4 & 337
Vineyard Age
Planted in 1998
Site
Gravelly, alluvial soils;cortina and Bale loam
Yield
4.4 tons/acre
Harvest
Harvest Date
September 9 -11
Harvest Brix
25°
Growing Season
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 small, closed-top stainless steel fermentors with indigenous yeasts
• 5 day cold soak, 18 to 26 days total maceration
• Spontaneous malolactic fermentation in barrels ; 2 to 3 months to completion
• Aged 21 months in Taransaud, Seguin moreau and Radoux French oak; 100% new
• Varietal Composition: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
• Unblended, unfined and unfiltered; Bottled July 2006
