2017 Cabernet Sauvignon, Moon Mountain District • St. Francis Winery & Vineyards

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2017

Cabernet Sauvignon

Moon Mountain District

Sonoma County

Tasting Notes

This full-bodied wine reflects the high minerality of the iron-rich soil it originated from. Concentrated flavors follow intense aromas of crushed wild blackberries, bittersweet chocolate, maple, and warm pie spices. The wine showcases a compounding mouth feel as it builds to ripe flavors of red delicious apples and dark ripe berries. While it shows off the generous structure and firm tannins, the finish is luxurious and velvet-like as it gracefully dissipates.

Vintage Notes

The 2017 growing season started out wet with record-breaking rainfall after several dry years. A mild spring led to a timely bud break and good fruit set, followed by ideal conditions of cool mornings and warm, sunny days throughout the summer months. A few days of intense heat at the beginning of September sped up ripening throughout the region. Well-timed picks meant the majority of the fruit was in by the first week of October. Beautiful color, well-defined aromatics, and outstanding flavor are all evident in this year’s vintage.

Vineyard Notes

The fruit for this robust Cabernet Sauvignon comes from one of Sonoma’s newest American Viticultural Areas (AVA), Moon Mountain District of Sonoma County. This striking region is lauded 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.

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, 38% new, followed by 15 months of aging before final blending and bottling.