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Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2003 growing season brought an unusual post-veraison (coloring of the fruit) heat spike that scorched some leaves and fruit in several vineyard sites, reducing the vines’ capacity for efficient photosynthesis and necessitating dropping some clusters. Aside from the summer heat spikes, once our harvest started on September 23, we enjoyed the moderate and rain-free autumn that Napa Valley is known for. This period of long hang-time ripening was as pleasant as I have experienced, with typical days of 87 º F and nights dipping to about 50º F. This weather pattern held for all the remaining days of the harvest, which ended on October 29. Slow and selective harvesting was the norm for this harvest. The grapes that endured the summer heat spikes were fantastic: ripe, sweet, dark and deeply textured. It is no secret that the wines which we are producing these days are riper, darker and more accessible upon their release. The ripeness phenomenon is not tied entirely to a warm climate. Less vigorous rootstock, low yields and healthy vines are the primary reason that we can attain greater ripeness than in past decades. Viticulturally, I believe that the Napa Valley has advanced considerably over the last decade, and the wines are riper, friendlier and more to my personal liking. We are not alone in our quest to make the best and most enjoyable wines from Napa's diverse and wonderful soils and climate. Sometimes this means pulling out and redeveloping young vineyards, solely because the site can be upgraded with rootstock, clone and trellis. We believe there is more to be gained in complexity and layering of flavors by not restricting ourselves to a single site. We farm several vineyard sites in the Napa Valley: valley floor, slopes and mountain. This wine includes fruit from eleven vineyards in the Napa Valley, including some exceptional Cabernet from the Calistoga area and from four Napa Valley sub-appellations: Rutherford, St. Helena, Atlas Peak and Mount Veeder. The blend includes a small amount of Merlot from the Carneros area of Napa. Our grapes are grown at several exquisite sites, keeping the diversity of Napa and our Napa Valley bottling in mind.

Napa Valley, United States

Caymus Vineyards

Napa Valley, United States