(0 )

Cabernet

Our Howell Mountain grapes possess deeper color, higher acidity and more tannin than our valley-grown fruit. As a result, our winemaking approach with Dancing Bear is to capture the distinctive, intense character of the fruit without extracting overly aggressive tannins. To do so, we carefully monitor fermentation temperatures and the cap of skins at the top of the fermenting tank, whose contact with the juice determines the degree of tannin extraction. Winemaker Julianne Laks carefully manages these processes during fermentation and maceration (the period after fermentation when the wine remains in contact with the grape skins), tasting the wine daily to assess tannin levels and mouth-feel. When Julianne senses the wine has achieved an optimal balance of fruit intensity and ripe tannins, we drain the free run wine from the skins (no press wine is used) and transfer it to French oak barrels for aging. The 2004 Dancing Bear was aged 22 months in French oak barrels, 45% new, prior to bottling in August, 2006.

Napa, United States

Cakebread Cellars

Napa, United States