How has growing Cabernet Sauvignon changed?
For one thing, monoclonal Cabernet Sauvignon is gone. After a number of years working with Richard, I know exactly what he wants. So we carefully manage each block to express it and we provide clonal diversity as well to give him the tannin structure, flavor profile and textural richness that he looks for. After his 40 years of winemaking and my 30 years of grape growing, we can fill in the palette with our two inputs. For example, I won’t say the French Cabernet Sauvignon clones are “better,” but I knew that Richard would recognize their uniqueness. And he did. Historically, Richard has blended Cabernet Sauvignon made from sites around Sonoma Valley. On a smaller scale, we’re able to do the same thing here – provide him with fruit from several non-contiguous sites scattered up and down half a mile of mountainside with at least three distinctive soil types. And that creates complexity. From the get-go, my job has been to design the bottle of wine in the vineyard with him. Is it fun to
