Waterstone Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

Vintage
The 2013 harvest arrived early and with a bang; our first grapes arrived a few days prior to the South Napa Earthquake. The growing season was marked by “near perfect” weather, following a winter with half of the normal rainfall. With one of the driest years on record, the vines yielded smaller berries with good flavor concentration. Overall yields were above average, but below the large crops of the prior two harvests; quality is high, with good depth of flavor.

Vineyards 
Well-established hillside vineyards are the foundation of this wine, giving the finished blend its intense inner core of fruit. The complexity and balance of this vintage was achieved through diverse sourcing, although a significant portion of the blend was drawn from the Truchard Vineyard in Carneros in an effort to strike balance.

Vinification 
Following destemming, the hand-picked grapes were stainless steel-fermented and received extended skin contact before being transferred to barrels. The wine was aged in small French oak barrels for 24 months (15% new barrels) where the wine completed malolactic fermentation. The wine was racked prior to bottling.

Tasting Notes 
Dark garnet color. Cassis, allspice, cedar, and flinty notes dominate the aroma. On the palate, the wine is structured with generous, mouth-coating tannins. Ripe blackberries and spice linger in the finish.