Venge Cabernet Sauvignon Family Reserve 2018, Oakville, Napa Valley, California

“Our 2018 Family Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is a stellar example of our Oakville Estate Vineyard. The nose carries intense notes of dark fruit, dried lavender, tobacco, cedar, and spice. The palate is full and expansive. Intense flavors of blackberry, blueberry, cassis, vanillin, and earthy spices are wonderfully integrated. Complex, balanced, and full-bodied. 2016 vintage: smaller crop, dry farmed. The fruit was destemmed into a combination of small stainless steel tank fermenters, concrete vats, and open top barriques. Time on skins lasted 14 to 45 days. The fruit was then separated to ‘free run’ and ‘light press’ fractions. The Cabernet was aged in 100% new, tight grained, French Oak barrels for a lengthy 27 months. 100% native, spontaneous yeast and malolactic fermentations were also key ingredients in the making of this wine. The gentle use of gravity flow wine-making, whenever possible, is carefully exercised throughout the making of this and every Venge wine. Bottled unfiltered. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.