2008 HL Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaking Notes

The 2008 HL Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon is a very forward wine, rich and full-bodied with lots of concentration. The Cabernet Sauvignons from this vintage in the Napa Valley will be generally more approachable in their youth, more plush and accessible, but will also have the tannins and structure to allow them to develop in the bottle.

Aromatically, this vintage shows a fair amount of oak paired with dry Baker's chocolate and dried cherry. The plush sweetness from the new French oak barrels accentuates the red and black fruit in the glass. In the mouth, there are flavors of smoky tobacco and currant, with dark cherries, cassis, espresso, and sweet licorice. Although nicely concentrated, this is a friendly wine, not clumsy, and framed by velvety tannins.

The 2008 HL Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon is a bigger wine than some previous vintages, concentrated yet wonderfully aromatic with bright acidity and a rich, fruity style that feels like it's built to age.

Vintage Notes

2008 was one of the most frustrating and oddest growing seasons in many years. The Napa Valley experienced a dry spring, topped by devastating late April frosts followed by high winds and then an unusual heat wave in May - making for an erratic bloom period. This effectively cut the overall crop by as much as 20% in some areas, although the hillside Herb Lamb Vineyards, with the steady breezes through our eastern valley, escaped another potential loss due to frost.

If anything, the weather at bloom lead to smaller berry size which ultimately reflects the greater color and intensity of flavor in our 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon. Although our tonnage was reduced, (bunch weights and berry sizes were much smaller than previous vintages), we were grateful to harvest the quality of grapes upon which we depend to make exceptional wines.

Technical Data

Alcohol:	14.4%
Composition:	100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Appellation:	Napa Valley
Barrels:	80% New French Oak
Vineyards:	Herb Lamb Vineyard
Cases Produced:	215