2009 Two Old Dogs Cabernet Sauvignon
Winemaking Notes
Winemaker Mike Trujillo describes the 2009 vintage as “all about backbone and structure. Aromatically, there is a fair amount of oak and lots of dry, sweet Bakers chocolate. In the nose there is red currant, cherry pie filling, dried cocoa and a little cedar. As the wine opens up with air, you can taste the spicy black fruit but with nice herbal character with hints of tobacco, toasted sage and cedar. In the mouth, you taste black berry, cherry and spice nuances, encased in elegant tannins. This vintage has good depth and ends with rich blackberry, cocoa and spicy cedar notes."
Overall, there’s a leanness to this vintage and it’s somewhat slow to evolve, similar to the 2006 vintage, but it shows great structure. Still shy and tight and wound up in a cocoon at release, with a few more months of bottle age and aeration the 2009 Two Old Dogs Cabernet Sauvignon should be unfolding beautifully, showing its true richness, becoming more juicy, lush and plush.
Vintage Notes
The 2009 growing season started with a dry spring, but rain showers in May recharged the vines. A moderate summer followed with lots of healthy canopy growth, creating more and bigger bunches. Most of the young vines were just hitting their stride, having been replanted from the original 1988 vineyard from 2002 to 2004. Only a few summer heat spikes, instead of multiple days in the 100’s, were followed by two freaky rainstorms that caught everybody by surprise near harvest in mid-September and again mid-October - with over 6 inches of rain! The grape bunches plumped with the rains, making the tonnage even greater than expected. The 2009 Two Old Dogs Cabernet Sauvignon was harvested from specific rows from 600 to 800 feet in elevation at the Herb Lamb Vineyards on October 18th.
Technical Data
| Alcohol: | 13.9% |
| Composition: | 100% Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Appellation: | Napa Valley |
| Barrels: | 60% New French Oak |
| Vineyards: | Herb Lamb Vineyard |
| Cases Produced: | 220 |
