The 2005 growing season was long and cool in the Napa Valley. The season started with a late bud break, and cool temperatures prevailed throughout the year and into the beginning of September. Fortunately, fall brought warm temperatures and lots of sunshine, allowing the grapes to achieve ripeness of flavor and tannin. Harvest was nearly four weeks later than in 2004, and we were picking Cabernet Sauvignon well into the first week of November. The fruit for this classic Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon came from vineyards in southern Napa, St. Helena and Rutherford.
This wine opens with bright red fruit aromas of raspberry, cherry and dried cranberry with background notes of vanilla, clove, and bittersweet chocolate. The palate offers a concentrated core with layers of black currant, red cherry, cocoa powder and smoky oak. A full-bodied, Napa Valley Cabernet, this wine has solid structure and tannin to ensure aging potential. The addition of Merlot and Cabernet Franc adds mid-palate weight and structure along with ripe fruit notes on the nose. Winemaker Danielle Cyrot kept the lots separate through harvest and fermentation. After nineteen months in French oak (40 percent new) she assembled the final blend before bottling.
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"The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa exhibits a deep ruby/purple color in addition to a bouquet of licorice, toasty wood, black currants, spice box, and earth. This soft 2005 should drink nicely for 10-12 years.
" -Rated 89, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
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"Here’s a big, lush Cab, appealing now for its jammy blackberry, cherry, currant and chocolate flavors. But the tannins make for an unsettled astringency that needs rich meats to cut through. Fine now with complex beef dishes, but better after 2010. — S.H. (3/1/2009)" -Rated 88, Wine Enthusiast
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