Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley — 2022
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Introduction
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RouteStock is an invitation to discover the deep roots of winemaking in Napa and Sonoma, planted firmly at each step of your journey through our vineyard sites. Every glass tells the story of Napa and Sonoma’s remarkable fine wine heritage, from the famous routes that wind between the vineyards, to the roots that produce its world-renowned grapes. An endeavor of enduring Napa-based importer Wilson Daniels, RouteStock is established as a product that consistently over-delivers in quality at a very attractive price point.
At the core of RouteStock is our commitment to sourcing great fruit from high-end vineyards along well-known routes in the Napa Valley. We partner with a select group of dedicated grape-growers in the best viticultural areas for each of our varietals and we work hand-in-hand with all our growers during the cultivation season. We practice minimal intervention in our winemaking to help the grapes show their true character, using native yeasts, natural malolactic fermentation, and no chemical additions. Our intent is to let the grapes and vintage tell us what kind of wine they should be – we never try to force the wine into a specific mold, but rather serve as a guide on its journey.
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Vineyard Profile
- Grape Source: Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a world-renowned institution, and ours is born from long- term relationships with four top-quality vineyards throughout the region. Hailing from the cooler Coombsville regions, the warmer St. Helena, the mountainous Mount Veeder, and the valley floor Rutherford, the fruit we source for this bottling produces a bright and complex blend that reflects all the best elements of Napa. We finish the wine with small percentages of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot to deliver the best complexity and balance.
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Vintage Report
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2022 was another drought year that brought about an early bud-break and flowering. The spring stretched out nicely to put veraison a little behind schedule. The massive 10-day heat wave from September 1st through the 10th didn’t seem to faze the Bordeaux varietals. We started harvesting Merlot on September 30th and ended with our Coombsville Cabernet Sauvignon on October 14th.
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Vinification
- Aging: 10 months in 98% French oak; 92% neutral and 8% new, and 2% American oak
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Technical Information
- Varietal Composition: 89.5% Cabernet sauvignon, 4% Merlot, 3.5% Cabernet Franc, 2% Malbec, and 1% Petit Verdot
- Alcohol: 14%
- TA: 5.65 g/L
- p H: 3.76
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Tasting Notes
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A deep magenta color leads to an enveloping aroma of cedar, shaved graphite, black plum, and dried thyme. The flavor and structure is all Napa Valley! The wine is medium-full bodied with a beautiful rich, supple texture and flavors of dark fruit, exotic spices (nutmeg & cinnamon), tobacco, coffee, and dark chocolate. There is a nice brightness from the acidity, a subtle kiss of tannin, and nice ripe fruit to make this a complete Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon.
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