North America | California | Enos Vineyards | Bench Cabernet Sauvignon

Bench Cabernet Sauvignon

VARIETAL
Cabernet Sauvignon

NOTES

VINEYARD: Sourced from benchland vineyards in Sonoma County where the valley floor transitions to foothills. The vast majority of grapes still comes from Knights Valley as in previous vintages, but those are now blended with a minority of grapes outside the AVA in Mendocino. Totem Ridge vineyard is located in Southern Knights Valley high up on the Mayacamas Range. There are 7 different blocks of Cabernet, all on different exposures and elevations. Petrified Forest Vineyard is on the backside of the same mountain and benefits from longer hang times due to an eastern exposure.

VINIFICATION: Manual harvest. Grapes were de-stemmed without crushing, then transferred by gravity to stainless steel fermentation tanks. After a long cold soak, the must was allowed to warm and ferment with indigenous yeast. Dan encouraged the fermentations to hit the low 90sF for at least two days for added extraction. The new wine was pressed off just before going dry to minimize harsh, alcoholic extraction. Malolactic fermentation was left to complete indigenously. The wine was aged for 12 months in 100% French oak barrels, 40% new.