PALATE

A nuanced, garnet-hued wine, the 2017 ALEA FINA Cabernet Sauvignon reveals profoundly concentrated aromas and flavors of black cherry and blackcurrant, layered over classic Rutherford notes of cedar box, graphite, dust, earth and a subtle suggestion of Portobello. A medium-bodied wine with gracefully refined tannins, this exquisite Cabernet Sauvignon culminates in an exceptionally long finish.

VINEYARD

Our Cabernet Sauvignon is crafted from select vineyard blocks located in the heart of the Rutherford Bench.  With its sedimentary, gravelly and alluvial soils and known its refined style and beautiful typicity, the blocks are minimally irrigated, which encourages the vines to focus their nutrients on grape clusters, adding intensity and layered complexity in the glass.

VINTAGE

The 2017 growing season on the Rutherford Bench began with bud break in mid-March. A rainy spring was followed by a mild, temperate summer, with veraison unfolding in mid-July. A fuller vine canopy—which allows only dappled sunlight to reach the clusters and extends harvest for our Cabernet fruit—protected the vines from a September heat spike. The fruit had ample time to develop robust flavors, and the grape seeds became fully lignified, softening the tannins.

WINEMAKING

The Cabernet Sauvignon grapes were hand-harvested in early October at optimal ripeness (26.2° Brix) to retain varietal typicity and capture the essence of the extraordinary terroir. The grapes were destemmed, crushed and cold-soaked for five days to extract the grapes’ vivid flavor and color prior to fermentation in stainless steel at 85°F. A precise, seven-day post-fermentation maceration with heat softened the tannins and developed the wine’s generous mid-palate, before it was gently pressed in a traditional basket press to minimize the extraction of bitter compounds. This Cabernet Sauvignon was aged without racking off the lees for 18 months in 100% French oak barrels from carefully selected coopers.

OAK

Aged in tight-grained French oak barrels, which are prized for developing complex aromatics, from coopers Taransaud, Vicard, and Alain Fouquet. The final blend reflects 80% new oak with medium and medium+ toast levels.

CELLARING

This wine will continue to evolve and develop greater depth through 2032.