2007
Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon, Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard St. Helena, Napa Valley
Winemaker's Notes
Displaying a deep, black garnet hue, this muscular powerhouse opens with a nose of black plum, pencil lead and dried herbs that only hint at the intensity and expansiveness of the palate to follow.Abundant flavors of freshly picked blackberries, currants and espresso unfold in velvety succession over a mouth-coating palate.Ripe, sweet tannins surround the dense core of black fruits, complemented by hints of cedar and vanillin on a lasting finish.Alcohol 15.1%
Vineyard
Owner/Manager
Andy Beckstoffer
Vineyard
Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard
Appellation
St. Helena, Napa Valley
Clones
337
Vineyard Age
Planted in 1998
Site
Flat topography with eastern and western exposure; gravelly, alluvial soils; Cortina and Bale loam
Yield
2.9 tons/acre
Harvest
Harvest Date
September 17
Harvest Brix
26.5°
Growing Season
The 2007 growing season was preceded by a mild, dry winter. Bud break came early, setting a crop of highly concentrated berries in small clusters. Summer brought ideal weather with warm, even temperatures through veraison. Late summer brought several heat spikes followed by moderate temperatures that prevailed through harvest. Fruit had ample time for phenolics as well as sugars to reach optimum levels. The result was a slow, steady harvest of exceptional quality, with wines showing great intensity and structure.
Winemaking
§Hand-harvested grapes
§Fermented in small, closed-top stainless steel fermentors with indigenous yeasts
