2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, Corona Vineyard

Mt. Veeder (Napa Valley)

Our 2006 Corona Vineyard Cabernet represents our first attempt to achieve status comparable to some of the great cult Cabs of Napa Valley. The grapes come from the prestigious Mt. Veeder sub-appellation of Napa Valley, at an altitude of 1100 feet in the hills just West of the town of Napa. The mountainous terrain and wide diurnal temperature extremes of the region are known for producing some of the best, most powerful Cabernets around today.

The vineyard that produces our Mt. Veeder Cab is owned and managed by Roberto Corona and we feel incredibly fortunate that Roberto has agreed to let us make some of his wine. Our partnership with Roberto extends far beyond a grower/winemaker relationship. In addition to collaborating on this wine, Roberto also manages our vineyard as well as most of the Lamorinda vineyards from which we obtain fruit.

In 2006, his vines, planted to three different clones of Cabernet with a little Merlot, produced a rich, elegant, perfectly balanced wine with layers of complexity that are to behold in the glass over a period of time. The wine's color in glass appears deep crimson red, with a band of garnet along the rim. The nose exhibits juicy red currants, wild berries, anise, and sage. Upon entering the palate, the wine shows its richness and elegance, with concentrated essence of black cherry unfolding into layers of complex, earthy notes. The finish evolves, revealing a pleasant aftertaste, but detailing enough tannic muscle to suggest this wine could age for 10 or more years. However, given it's had a chance to soften and age in bottle for a year already, this Cab could be consumed now as long as it's given enough aeration time beforehand. Definitely a great pairing for a rich grilled steak or a hearty beef bourgogne