PINE RIDGE VINEYARDS
2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
Winemaker Notes:
The 2005 Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon, with its supple tannins and black cherry fruit flavors, is a pure expression of the world-famous Stags Leap District (SLD) appellation. It is produced in the Bordeaux style by carefully blending 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot and 5% Merlot. Grown on the steeply-terraced and densely planted hillsides of their home vineyards in SLD, Pine Ridge Vineyards achieves small yields of tiny berries that give this wine its traditional depth and complexity. Harvested in early September, the grapes macerated on the skins and were pumped over traditionally for 24-28 days before being pressed to barrels for 15-17 months of aging. The final result is a wine bursting with ripe red, black cherry and berry fruit, dark chocolate and tobacco leaf. Touches of smoke, brown sugar, spicy clove and dark fruit hint at the complexity that proper aging will bring. The palate lives up to the promise of the nose with loads of dark fruit and berry flavors. Well-integrated tannins are firm but silky, balancing the weight of the rich fruit perfectly for a velvety, full-bodied wine that drinks beautifully now and can be kept 10-12 years.