Release Date: Spring 2000

1997 was a great year to be a winemaker. Uniform high ripeness and perfect growing conditions made all of us in the business think we really had a handle on this. Springtime weather was summer-like, giving our vines the most bountiful crop since 1991. The warm, balmy conditions kept on through harvest, allowing the grapes to ripen fully and evenly, a key to successful wines.

This ’97 Cabernet is the flashiest vintage ever made at this property. Forward aromas of honeysuckle and raspberry jam are followed on the palate with dense, explosive blackberry-red currant. Stylistically hedonistic from start to finish yet with an abundance of acid, alcohol, and tannins to keep it enticing for many years in the bottle.

Yield: 2.2 tons per acre

Vine Age: 17 years

Aging: 25 months in small French barrels

Maturity:  2 to 25 years