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Elizabeth and Spencer’s new home is in a brick building that was constructed in 1872 and was the original post office for the town of Rutherford. They recently completed a major renovation and have made every effort to preserve the integrity of this historic property

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Winemaker’s Notes

Deep reddish-purple in color. Seductive aromas of cassis, cigar box, black plum and wet gravel. Voluptuous entry gives way to a richly textured mid-palate where dark fruit flavors intermingle with hints of spice box. Fine tannins build through to the finish of this classically structured wine.

Winemaking

Upon arrival at the winery, the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes were hand-sorted by clusters, with strict control over the quality of the fruit which went into the fermenters. The juice and skins were given a long cold soak prior to fermentation in order to extract as much color and flavor as possible. Allowed to ferment with ‘native’ yeasts, the must was pumped over while in tank. Once fermentation was complete, the wine was macerated on the skins to increase extraction and allow the tannin structure to soften. Aged for 20 months in 100% French oak from select coopers including Taransaud, Sylvain, Darnajou, and Nadalie, this wine was handled as little as possible from fermentation tank to barrel to bottle in order to allow it to continue to deepen in richness and complexity, and was bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Vineyards

We source our Cabernet Sauvignon from a few select sites located in Yountville and Napa. The vineyards are planted on unique, varied terrain from classic valley floor to gently sloping foothills and are farmed to our strictest standards. Our viticultural practices are designed with the ultimate goal of producing pure, intense and balanced wines. We work with a handful of wonderful growers with whom we have established very positive long term relationships.

Vintage

Bud break occurred in February, almost a full month ahead of schedule, and was followed by several months of unseasonably dry and warm weather. This helped our vines maintain a good healthy growth and gave them plenty of warmth and light to bring both fruit flavors and tannins to full maturity. With our Cabernet Sauvignon grapes coming from both the eastern and western slopes of the Napa Valley and from select sites on the valley floor, we had a broad spectrum of complexing flavors and aromas. Our final wine has beautiful balance and complexity which is the direct result of this judicious approach to vineyard selection.

Appellation: Napa Valley
Varietal Blend: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot,
5% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petite Verdot
Production: 60 barrels
Winemakers: Matthew Rorick and Spencer Graham

Read more about  Elizabeth and Spencer wines here