RustRidge Winery Wines

'00 Cabernet Sauvignon

Vineyard:
RustRidge Vineyard is located in the Chiles Valley appellation, at the 1,000 foot elevation in the eastern hillside region of Napa Valley. The grapes are grown on a gentle slope of volcanic and alluvial soils surrounded by the tree studded Vaca range of mountains. The Cabernet Sauvignon vines are over 30 years old, and planted to the old Sterling clone which produces small berries and intense flavors. The vineyard is seldom watered, farmed organically, and yields about 3-4 tons per acre.
Winemaking and Cellar Operations:
The grapes for the intense 2000 Cabernet were hand picked in mid-November 2000 with a Brix of 24.6º, total acid of .82 gm/100 ml, and a pH of 3.50. The fruit was crushed into small stainless steel fermenters and cold soaked for 3 days. A Bordeaux yeast was added, and temperatures reached 88º during a 3-week fermentation and maceration. The resulting wine was aged in French Oak for two years before bottling.
Winemaker Comments:
The initial aromas of this wine are raspberry and vanilla. Further exploration reveals dark chocolate and cocoa aromas that continue through to the palate. The wine finishes with the same flavors of dark chocolate and vanilla and with subtle tannins. This Cabernet was aged for 24 months in French Oak and is soft and velvety and very drinkable now but will continue to develop for another 3-5 years.

RustRidge B&B/Winery
2910 Lower Chiles Valley Road
St. Helena, CA 94574
Ph (707) 965-9353, Fax (707) 286-5502
RustRidge@RustRidge.com