By Encantado
2024 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Vintage Notes
The 2024 growing season began with steady, average winter rainfall and is characterized by the return to warmer conditions following the cool, wet 2023 vintage. April brought cool temperatures and scattered showers, with budbreak occurring in line with historical norms. Cool and wet weather persisted into early May before warmer temperatures and sunshine arrived mid-month. By mid-May, dry and sunny conditions supported an even bloom throughout the valley. The summer months were warm, with the high temperatures occurring from late June through early July. The weeks that followed were classic summer, warm days, cool nights, and mild conditions, providing ideal, low-stress ripening conditions. Harvest began at near typical timing, with red varieties starting in early to mid-September. The most notable weather event occurred in early October, when a seven-day heatwave brought the hottest temperatures of the year. This unusual heat spike accelerated ripening and compressed the final weeks of harvest as the remaining fruit rapidly reached maturity. Harvest concluded with the annual Halloween rain. Aside from the October heat event, the 2024 growing season reflected the hallmark conditions Napa Valley is known for: warm to hot days, dry and mild weather, and cool evenings.

Winemaking Notes
The 2024 vintage was harvested from October 8th to October 11th. The grapes were hand-harvested at night - when temperatures often dip to 50 degrees F - to capture vibrant acidity and fruit expression in the wine. We first cold-soaked the must (crushed grapes) for gentle extraction and then fermented in stainless steel, concrete, and oak barrel fermenters at 88 degrees F. Rigorous pump-overs, increasing during the peak of the fermentation, developed deep color, rich varietal character, and fine tannins in the wine. The wine was aged in 7% new French oak barrels to meld the bright fruit expression with oak spice nuances. After three months of aging, we blended the vineyard components and allowed them to marry for a total of 20 months of barrel elevage. This wine was bottled unfined to present the attributes of the vineyard in the purest form possible, from the dirt to the glass!

Technical Details
Blend: 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Malbec, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc
Appellation: Napa Valley
Certification: Napa Green Winery
Aging: 20 months in French oak (7% new)
Alcohol: 15.50%
pH: 3.94
TA: 6.10 g/L

Tasting Notes
Cherry candy, vanilla, rhubarb, palate is juicy, well-balanced, streamlined acidic, quaffable, necco wafer.

Service
Food Pairing: Pair with gumbo.
Aging Potential: Three to seven years
[Information provided by Crimson Wine Group]