Winemakers notes at release:

All of our vineyards are surrounded by wildlands which makes Santa Cruz Mountain wines so intriguingand unique. The wines subtly pick up these special aromas and flavors from this proximity. Essential oils from the native flora blow into the vineyard and in a minuscule way, attach to the fruit and leaves. This only happens in small isolated mountain vineyards.

In my 38 years making wine on this mountaintop, I have never seen such a low yielding Cabernet vintage. Averaging at best one-half ton per acre, it was confounding. While there is not much of it, it is certainly delicious—a classic nose of cassis with the added complexity of plum, bay and earthy sage. On the palate, there is concentration without heaviness, flavors of currant, raspberry, oak and earth—which speaks to our surrounding forest.

Main Points for Presentation:

•Our estate vineyards have been growing Cabernet since the late 1940’s

•13 acres: 9.75 acres Cabernet Sauvignon, 2.9 Merlot, .4 Cabernet Franc, .2 Petit Verdot

•Cool coast vineyard, which results in a lower alcohol, yet full flavored wine that ages gracefully

•Vineyard planted in 1981-1982

•Fermented in small open top tanks, using natural yeast

•Macerated 14 days on the skins, punched down by hand

•Wine is racked six or seven times during the course of its two year barrel aging

Producer Mount Eden Vineyards

Category Wine - Still - Red

Grape 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc & 1% Petit Verdot

Geography California, United States

Appellation Santa Cruz Mountains

Alcohol by volume 14.0%

Available for Pick up and Shipping to Illinois Residents Only - UPS Adult Signature is required