2016 Cabernet Sauvignon, Moon Mountain District • St. Francis Winery & Vineyards

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2016

Cabernet Sauvignon

Moon Mountain District

Sonoma County

94 Points | Harvest Challenge | Nov 2018
91 Points | Wine Advocate | Dec 2019
Double Gold Medal | Harvest Challenge | Nov 2018
Gold Medal | San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition | Jan 2019
Best of Class | Harvest Challenge | Nov 2018

Tasting Notes

This full-bodied wine reflects the iron-rich soil it comes from with concentrated flavors and aromas of crushed wild blackberries, bittersweet chocolate, and savory notes of dried sage and allspice. While it shows off the generous structure and firm tannins, the finish is luxurious and silky.

Vintage Notes

Harvest in 2016 started in the middle of August during a pattern of warm sunny days cooled by foggy mornings and breezy afternoons for most of the area. The early months of the year were very mild with little rain allowing the vines to progress steadily and uneventfully. Yields throughout the region were slightly below average but moderate weather starting in early summer gave the fruit plenty of time to develop great color and flavor, resulting in beautifully balanced wines.

Vineyard Notes

The fruit for this robust Cabernet Sauvignon comes from one of Sonoma’s newest AVAs – the Moon Mountain District Sonoma County, a region striking for its high elevation vineyards and rugged, volcanic soil. Rising from 400 to 2200 feet on the western side of the Mayacamas, the Moon Mountain District has thin, fast-draining soil and hot, dry summer days, ideal conditions to grow deeply colored grapes with intense, concentrated flavors. Two vineyards in this distinctive region are sourced for this wine, with 76% of the fruit coming from the Caton vineyard and 24% from the Montecillo vineyard.

Winemaker Notes

The grapes underwent a two-day cold soak to extract optimal color and flavor and each individual component was fermented separately to optimize structure and tannin integration. Secondary malolactic fermentation occurred in French oak barrels, 50% new, followed by 17 months of aging before final blending and bottling.