< 1999 Estate Bottled Cabernet Sauvignon
COMPLETE TASTING NOTES
The 1999 growing season was optimal from start to finish, with temperate, even weather from budbreak in spring up to the last day of our harvest, October 30. All of our Cabernet Sauvignon, along with the Petit Verdot, achieved full ripeness in the last few weeks of October. Sugars increased in conjunction with true physiological maturity, an indicator of a rare and near perfect vintage. Yields were miniscule, in the two ton per acre range, throughout our Cabernet blocks. This level of crop was ideal for the mild heat of the vintage, as any additional tonnage on the vines would have compromised full ripening.
The fruit was gently crushed to fermenter and extracted by pumpover. Given the wonderfully even ripening of the fruit, extraction was extended well past dryness to maximize and soften the tannins. Primary and malolactic fermentations utilized native yeast and bacteria, respectively, as is the hallmark of all estate wines at Chalk Hill. The wine was racked quarterly and aged for twenty months in predominantly new French oak coopered by Taransaud, Seguin Moreau and Demptos. The final blend incorporated small amounts of the other Bordeaux varieties, including Petit Verdot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. These additions, all from our newest plantings of clones, fleshed out the structure and character of the blend and eliminated any need for fining. The 1999 Chalk Hill Cabernet Sauvignon is replete with aromas of ripe raspberry and blackberry, tinged with cigar box spice and dried flowers. The flavors add notes of black cherry syrup and blood orange to the mix, accentuating delicious contributions from toasty oak. The wine has substantial weight and grip, with silky tannins providing mid-palate sweetness and a lengthy finish.
REVIEW
Wine Enthusiast awards the 1999 Estate Bottled Chalk Hill Cabernet Sauvignon 90 Points
Complete Review
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
- Blend:
- 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot, 4% Malbec, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot
- Vineyard:
- Estate
- Appellation:
- Chalk Hill
- Ageing:
- Twenty months, 63% new French oak
- Harvested:
- October 13 - 30, 1999, Brix 22.2°, T.A. 6.3 g/l, pH 3.48
- Bottled:
- August 29, 2001, T.A. 6.5 g/l, pH 3.81
