2017 Secret Door Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Stag's Leap District

The Door – this picture was taken by Beatrice Aube (cousin of our friend Christophe Gerard), Chissay en Touraine, France.

The Vineyard – Hirondelle Vineyard is located in the center of the famous Stags Leap District of the Napa Valley. Planted in 1996 it has fully mature vines producing world-class quality Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes were harvested – September 12th, 2017 (almost a month before the 2017 Napa Valley fires).

The Wine – We produced this wine with minimal intervention or inputs but worked with the juice just as it arrived. The grapes were destemmed and placed into a stainless steel fermenter. 2-3 times per day the cap was pumped over for a gentle extraction of color and tannins. The new wine was drained from the fermenter at the completion of alcoholic fermentation and placed into 100% new French Oak barrels. After 18 months in barrel we racked the wine in preparation for bottling. It was bottled without filtration or fining. The Stags Leap District is noted for Cabernet Sauvignon wines that exhibit complexity, supple tannins and both ripe fruit as well as floral notes in the flavors.