Vineyard: The Estate Bon Passe Vineyard is located in the southwestern bench lands of Napa Valley, in the Oak Knoll District appellation. The vineyard is comprised of both hillsides and valley floor, with varying soil types. As a result, we harvest our six blocks separately to take advantage of the different lots and add complexity to our wines.
Appellation: Oak Knoll District, Napa Valley
Growing Season Notes: The 2015 vintage started out two weeks earlier than normal with bud break in mid-March. Temperatures were a bit more erratic for much of April and into May, leading to a smaller than average crop for Cabernet Sauvignon. Temperatures were closer to average from June into mid-August. Warms spells in August and September pushed the
...more... ripeness, but the weather settled down in late September to allow the vines to recover and give us necessary hang time to mature the tannins. We picked the Bon Passe Cabernet Sauvignon the last week September and first week of October, when we also harvested the Petit Verdot.
Varietal: 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot
Barrel Aging: 21 months in Oak – 40% new: 90% French, 10% American
Winemaker Tasting Notes: Our 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon reveals notes of dark cherry, cassis, vanilla, cocoa and graham cracker with toasty oak. Entry has sweet ripe berry fruit and elegant fine-grained tannin leading to a balanced mid-palate. Flavors of dark fruit (cherry, blackberry, boysenberry), chocolate and cherry and berry fruit jam. It finishes with a lingering touch of fruit and chewy tannins. Our 2015 shows riper fruit characteristics but maintains the richness and tannins typical of the Bon Passe Cabernet, thus we recommend some aerative decanting. The rich fruit and savory flavor profile make it an ideal pairing for grilled meats and hearty dishes.
