| Review: |
"Vine Hill Ranch is a blend of two clones of Cabernet Sauvignon from three special blocks in the Vine Hill Ranch vineyard in Napa Valley’s western benchlands near Oakville. Hand-harvested at night to ensure the fruit’s freshness and varietal purity, each of the three vineyard blocks is fermented and barrel-aged separately. After the grapes are gently destemmed and crushed, the must from each of the three vineyard lots is cold-soaked in stainless steel tanks for 48 hours to extract color, aromas, flavors and tannins prior to initiating fermentation with a cultured French yeast strain. Once fermentation completes, the wines enjoy an extended maceration on their skins to extract color and flavor and soften tannins. The three are blended and aged 22 months in French oak barrels, 66% new, to create an intense Cabernet Sauvignon." |