VHR Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 Vintage
VHR 2014 In the wake of the stellar 2012 and 2013 growing seasons, 2014 brought forward another idyllic year marked by consistently warm conditions suited to the creation of a well-structured, fruit-forward Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. An early onset to bud break and the lack of significant heat spikes through the season produced a winegrape crop of superior quality. Fruit harvested from blocks 3, 4, 6 and 7 produced a wine of singular character and quality from Vine Hill Ranch.
Block 3, planted to our estate’s deep loamy benchland soils, introduces a surprisingly dark-fruited complexity, character and structure, while Block 4 delivers vibrant red fruits, spirited mouth feel and fine silky tannins. Block 6 carries the flavor of its forest perimeter—dark fruit, bay laurel and chaparral—with structured brooding tannins, and our creekside Block 7 expresses cobbly stone and graphite qualities.
The 2014 Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet is striking for its perfumed notes of violets, Indian cinnamon, dark cocoa and mocha infused with ripe blackberry, cherry and blueberry and the rich aroma of dusty soil on a warm summer day. The structure of this vintage is commanding and intense. The lush dark fruit is lifted with a vein of minerality and bright acidities, showcasing the elegance, balance and maturity of winegrapes grown on this unique southwestern Oakville bench site. The wine finishes with an opulent suppleness that coats the palate and imparts a complexity and never-ending length of purity. The symphony of chosen blocks delivers a majestic finish collectively greater than its parts.
2014 harvest began in the early morning of September 14th, ending on October 2nd. Grapes were scrupulously hand sorted and aged in French Oak for 8 months, then blended and returned to barrel for an additional 12 months. 804 cases were bottled in June 2016.
