Region/Appellation: Napa Valley
Varietal: 87% Cabernet Sauvignon | 12% Merlot | 0.5% Cabernet Franc | 0.5% Petit Verdot
Vintage: 2017
Bottle Size: 750mL
ABV: 14.5%
Product Overview
Duckhorn has been producing Cabernet Sauvignon since 1978. Blending fruit from estate vineyards and top Napa Valley growers, this wine embodies the complexity of the valley, while offering a seamless balance between fruit, oak and tannins. To add nuance, the Cabernet is blended with Merlot, yielding a wine that is approachable in its youth, yet worthy of cellaring.
Winemaker Notes:
Lush, energetic and intense, this gorgeous Cabernet begins with aromas of blackberry, huckleberry and chocolate, as well as hints of mint, cardamom, clove and graham cracker. On the palate it displays lovely brightness, with firm, resolved tannins framing flavors of boysenberry and black currant. As it evolves in the glass, subtle sweet and savory notes are revealed, carrying the wine to a long, focused finish.
Production:
The 2017 growing season began with abundant winter rains, followed by a warm, dry spring that led to a perfectly timed budbreak. In addition to replenishing the water table, the early season rains produced robust canopies, which provided invaluable shade during a week-long heat event that kicked harvest into gear during the last week of August. This was followed by a much-needed cooldown that allowed the vines to recuperate, while also giving us extra hangtime for flavor development and tannin resolution. We harvested throughout September and into early October, with the grapes showing lovely ripeness and quality, yielding plush, polished and wonderfully complex wines.
