91 Points
~Robert Parker
Gold Medal
~2019 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
Double Gold Medal
~Sunset Magazine 2020
The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon is grown on the Hoot Owl Creek Ranch in southern Alexander Valley. It was planted in 2001 by Clay Green, and is clone 337 on 110R rootstock. The elevation is around 700 ft above the valley floor, on a southwest facing slope. The soil is gravelly shale in red volcanic soil.
Harvest info:
September 29, 2015
Harvested 4.4 tons + 0.22 tons of Malbec (4.2%).
25.6 brix
3.73 pH, 0.44 TA, 1.4 Malic YAN, 152
Aged in 63% new French oak for 18 months.
292 cases produced
Weather and growing season:
2015 was the fourth year of the drought, though Sonoma County had an almost average rain year in 2015. 50% budbreak happened by March 31, 50% bloom on May 9, and veraison happened. Continual roller coaster for weather, then moderately cool August and Sept. Low yields made for a fairly early harvest and concentrated flavors.
Winemaking
Crushed and put to a 3-day cold soak, then on day 4 warmed and inoculated with VQ51 yeast. It then had a long primary fermentation of 15 days on skins, and was pressed at dryness. Next came inoculation with ML. It finished ML in mid-Dec and was racked. Overall, it was racked 3 times during aging. 1.56 NTU after last racking, so bottled with Velcorin only.
Tasting notes:
Big jammy nose offers plum and boysenberry aromas with caramel and cassis filling in as it opens up.
Rich, centered palate with sweet oak, some black olive, and soft jammy cassis fruit covering a nice core of ripe tannins.