2002
Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon, Hyde Vineyard Carneros, Napa Valley
Winemaker's Notes
Teeth-staining blue-black color with aromas of graphite, plum, and lavender. The flavors are intense and rich, with black currant and huckleberry, accented by cedar and floral overtones. Lavender shows again in the long, spicy, yet delicate finish. Alcohol 14.7%
Following veraison, conditions were ideal throughout a long growing season. Warm days and cool nights produced a balanced crop with lighter than average yields, allowing for maximum development of flavors, complexity and color in the grapes. Marked by massive tannins and balanced acidity, this vintage will likely produce some of the best wines of the decade.
Winemaking
Hand-harvested grapes
Fermented in 5-ton open-top stainless steel fermentors with indigenous yeasts
5-day cold soak, 27 days total maceration
Spontaneous malolactic fermentation in barrels
Aged 19 months in 100% French oak barrels (Taransaud and Seguin Moreau); 76% new
Unblended, Unfined and unfiltered; Bottled July 2004
