Simi Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley 2014

We turned to two of our estate vineyards, Los Amigos—a classic valley floor vineyard, and Red Fan—a foothill vineyard with great sun exposure, to form the backbone of this wine. We also used fruit from other noted Alexander Valley vineyards, including Encinos, Big River, Hoot Owl Creek, Hoffman, and Belle Terre. We blended in 2% Cabernet Franc to add an element of spice and cassis, and 10% Merlot to add softness and suppleness. 1% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot add even more dimension to the aromatics and rich fruit flavors. During fermentation, the developing wine remained on the skins for 26 days to increase extraction and color. All of the wine underwent a secondary, malolactic fermentation and was then aged in small oak barrels (25% new) for 14 months.