2005 Cherryblock Cabernet Sauvignon
Proprietor's Selection Wines

 


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The Wine
Cherryblock is produced from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec grown in carefully selected vineyards in the Sonoma Valley . The name Cherryblock comes from the original Cherryblock vineyard, which makes up a significant portion of the wine’s final blend.

The Vintage:
The 2005 vintage was a cooler vintage starting with delayed budbreak, but with even keel weather in May enabling Cabernet to have a good set and cluster count. Summer weather was mild with average temperatures, but August was cooler making the clusters and berry weights greater. Thus, we had to do lots of cluster thinning during veraison to get the yields within reason. We gambled on warmer October weather and it happened the 3rd week. Therefore, we picked most of the Cabernet from late October to early November, dancing around the rains and getting full color and tannin maturity.

Winemaking:
The grapes were crushed and de-stemmed. Fermentation took place in 8 days for the Cabernet and 13 days for the Merlot and Malbec. Early press of the Cabernet without the use of press fractions was necessary for tannin control. We made 3 individual Cabernet lots. They were all racked into new and 1-year-old French oak barrels. In Spring 2006 after allowing 60 days to fully scrutinize which lots would go into the blend, we did an early assemblage. It was quickly returned to mostly new French oak barrels and aged until Winter 2007. It was aged a total of 15 months and bottled in July 2007.

Winemaker’s Notes:

The color on this wine is incredible, a very dark crimson. The aromas of blackberry, espresso and black olives allude to the richness of this wine and start your mouth watering. It is very concentrated in the mouth with almost sweet blackberry jam fruit, terroir flavors and mouth-coating tannins. Ripe berry and oak frames the finish of this ripe and structured wine. Enjoy with a decadent meal: aged steaks or a prime rib.


 
 
Mark R. Lyon, Winemaker
Technical Data
Appellation: Sonoma Valley Composition:

87.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5.0% Malbec, 6.5% Merlot, 1% Petite Verdot

Cooperage: Aged for 15 months in new and 1 year old French oak barrels Alcohol: 14.2% by volume
TA: 0.55 g/100ml pH: 3.70
Bottling Date: July 2007 Release Date: July 2008
 
 
  Past Vintages:

Awards and Acclaim:

2004 Vintage

5 Stars from Restaurant Wine: "The Cherrybloack is a blockbuster: Concentrated and rich, with full body, luscious texture, and fine balance, with a very long finish. It is very complex, and tastes of black currant, blueberrym plum toast and cedar."

2001 Vintage:

92 Points Wine Spectator : "This wine strikes an excellent balance between ripe, grapey, plum and currant flavors, and the spicy toasty oak adds a wonderful dimension. Intense and concentrated, sharply focused and long and complex on the finish, where the fruit and wood work in harmony. Best from 2005-2012."

 

 
 

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