Sophomore Jinx – ha! 2006 brought the second crop from Craig and Ellen’s backyard vineyard in Sonoma, and it has delivered once again beyond our expectations! The vineyard was planted by Craig in 2002 and is located at the southwestern edge of Sonoma Valley. The vineyard makeup is 80 percent clone 337, 10 percent clone 15, and 10 percent clone 191. Vineyard spacing is 6 ½’ x 3 ½’ to encourage vine competition for water and nutrients.
This rich, concentrated Cabernet Sauvignon offers intense aromas of blueberry yogurt, chocolate, and a touch of mint imparted by a stand of eucalyptus trees at the southern edge of the property. These lead to similarly rich flavors integrated into a full-bodied wine with silky texture. It is drinking very well right now, and our production has increased to 125 cases for 2006. This wine is a terrific follow-up effort to the 2005, and at $39, it’s a steal!