2003 Cabernet Sauvignon

Thirty-nine barrels produced

This is our third release of Cabernet for Amethyst, and it is by far the most intense in terms of extract and flavor concentration. This was not a deliberate attempt on our part to change the style of the wine rather it is a reflection of what the character of this vintage is. It is our belief that one of the joys of fine wine is that they reflect the differences in the vintage years. The personality of Cabernet is strongly affected by the weather in the springtime. In general the drier and warmer it is in the spring the more potential for intensity exists. Vintage 2003 was fairly dry in the spring, the heat accumulation was medium to high through the summer which continued the trend and the weather during the fall was moderate so no damage was done to the fruit either by heat or rain storms.
The vineyards used this year were the Brooks Vineyard in the Oak Knoll district and the Hancock Vineyard in the Coombsville area. The vines are on an east facing slope on Dry Creek road. This slope gives the vines an early start and allows full ripeness even in the relatively cool conditions of Oak Knoll.
The desire for balanced and delicious wines has informed my intent from the earliest days of my winemaking. Now nearly three decades along I believe in this more than ever. The result of this approach is that the wines drink well at almost every stage of their development. For myself I like to drink my red wines when they are at the very end of their youth. In the case of Cabernet that would be 5-6 years after bottling or with this wine sometime in 2009 – 2010 timeframe.