2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, Heart Arrow Ranch

History

The Heart Arrow Ranch, located in the northern reaches of Redwood Valley, Mendocino County, is a great example of how Biodynamic farming can produce complex, balanced wines.  The entire farm is a self-sustaining microcosm of life: the vegetables, grape vines, and agricultural trees are all fertilized by the animals–sheep, pigs, cows, chickens, goats, horses–that live on the property. No pesticides or herbicides are used on the farm.  The Cabernet Sauvignon grown on the property comes from vines planted on a steep slope of bright red, rocky, volcanic soil. The vines struggle to produce fruit on this well-drained rocky soil, which produces tiny amounts of intense, complex fruit that we make into structured, almost Bordeaux-like Cabernet Sauvignon.

Production

In 2018, the grapes were picked very late in the season, as is typical for this vineyard.  The vines produced tiny amounts of pea-sized, black grapes that we were certain would make jet-black, concentrated wine.  We hand-sorted the grapes on a conveyor to the crusher, and fermented the grapes for almost one month in small stainless steel tanks, using only the native yeasts on the grapes.  After pressing, the wine was aged for 20 months in small French oak barrels, using about 30% new oak for flavor and firm structure. During blending, we decided that a small amount of Merlot would bring supple texture and bright black cherry fruit to the wine.  The resulting wine has a fine structure and a complex, layered flavor profile.

Production: 331 cases

Tasting Notes