Longboard Cabernet Sauvignon Rhino Chaser 2019, Alexander Valley, California

This wine grows in a steep hillside vineyard in the Alexander Valley where it overlaps the Chalk Hill viticultural area. The rocky site, organic (non-certified) growing practices and low-input winemaking practices, make this a classic Sonoma Cabernet, less tannic than its cousins in warmer regions, but with better acidity and finesse. The grapes were harvested at an average of 24.8 degrees brix (mature but still possessing good acid), fermented, and allowed to rest on the skins for an additional period in order to get good extraction of color and tannins. The resulting wine was then drawn into French oak barrels for 23 months of ageing and bottled unfined and unfiltered. The surfboard on this label is a big-wave “Gun” – sometimes referred to as a “Rhino-Chaser” since it is used to slay huge waves. This image was chosen to go along with the big and bold flavors of this wine. Site: Grown on a hillside on the southernmost part of the Alexander Valley appellation at an elevation of 787 feet. Composition: 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot, 1% Malbec. Fermentation: Traditional closed-top fermentation with 11 day post-fermentation maceration period. Ageing: 23 months in French oak barrels, 35% new.