2002
Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon, Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Oakville, Napa Valley
Winemaker's Notes
Inky purple-black in color, this brooding beauty offers an extraordinary nose of blueberry, cedar, licorice and spice. On the palate, black cherry and crème de cassis wrap themselves around a massive, graphite core. Structure and power are complemented by notes of underbrush and smoke which add complexity and intrigue. Opulent, well-integrated tannins balance this bold expression of To Kalon fruit. Alcohol 14.8%
Vineyard
Owner/Manager
Andy Beckstoffer
Vineyard
Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard
Appellation
Oakville, Napa Valley
Clones
4 & 337
Site
Well-drained, lightly colored gravelly soils with high mineral, low organic content situated on the Oakville bench.
Yield
1.7 - 3.2 tons/acre
Harvest
Harvest Date
September 24 - 25, 2002
Harvest Brix
28.0° - 28.1°
Growing Season
Cool temperatures and rain in spring led to a lighter than normal crop set of very small berries. The vines struggled and shoots never reached their full height, contributing to intensity of flavor in the fruit. Consistently splendid weather throughout a warm summer, combined with attention to the vines, resulted in wines showing immense concentration, finegrained tannins and exceptional structure.
Winemaking
Hand harvested grapes
Fermented in closed-top stainless steel fermentors with indigenous yeasts; 2 months to completion
5-day cold soak, 29 days on skins
Spontaneous malolactic fermentation in barrels; 5 months to completion
Aged 20 months in Taransaud, Seguin Moreau, Demptos,Radoux, and Bossuet French oak barrels; 100% new
Unblended, Unfined and unfiltered; bottled July 2004
