2003 Scarecrow [ Sold Out ]

HARVEST NOTES
Vineyard Manager Michael Wolf:
The 2003 growing season was characterized by a cool, wet spring followed by plentiful heat and sunshine in the summer months. The grapes were harvested between September 23 and October 6, 2003 at an average of 26.7 Brix: 5.6 tons of the “house block” at 26.1 Brix (3.75 pH), 2 tons of hillside Cabernet Sauvignon at 26.8 Brix (3.45 pH) and 1.5 tons from the “Old Men” vines at 27.4 Brix (3.65 pH).

TASTING NOTES
Winemaker Celia Welch writes of the 2003 Scarecrow:
The wine is exhibiting aromas of liquid raspberries and essence of blackberry, surrounded by subtle hints of vanilla, baking spices, cherry syrup and the slightest touch of sage. Flavors echo the aromas with full, soft, round texture. The final blend was bottled unfined and unfiltered in late July of 2005. Juicy berry flavors dominate from start to finish, leaving a lingering sensation of sweet, ripe, black fruit.

Adhering to small lot fermentation, the old vines were punched down three times a day for two weeks. The remaining two lots were pumped over daily during fermentation to extract optimal color and flavor. After fermentation, the wine was aged for 22 months in small, primarily new French oak barrels. The individual lots were blended after one year, then returned to barrels for ten months of integration.

The 2003 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon, released April 15, 2006, is composed of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from the J.J. Cohn Estate in the Rutherford Viticultural Area of Napa Valley. Total production for this vintage amounted to 471 cases.