2016 ARMILLARY Cabernet Sauvignon
ABOUT ARMILLARY
This ARMILLARY Red Blend was originally crafted for our wine club members. An armillary is a metal cage around a globe consisting of a spherical framework of rings representing lines of celestial longitude and latitude, as well as other astronomically important features. As the FAY and S.L.V. Estate Vineyards are the center of our world at Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, a concentrated blend of the two could be considered our armillary, guiding and influencing everything we do.
VINEYARDS & WINEMAKING
ARMILLARY is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from FAY and S.L.V. made in a bold style with notes of chocolate and sweet berries that will age well over time. Individual lots are blended early in the fermentation process to enable the flavors to marry together during the aging process. The wine is 78% FAY and 22% S.L.V. and was aged for 18 months in 100% new French oak barrels.
VINTAGE
Although bud-break in Napa Valley was early in 2016, the season was much cooler than normal. We didn’t get the usual high heat in July and August, which provided for a longer hang time for the grapes. Overall, quality was high and particularly at our FAY and S.L.V. estate vineyards. The grapes in FAY and S.L.V. ripened uniformly and while yields were a bit lower than average, the flavors were great, and the tannins were soft and supple. The harvest was smooth and progressed from varietal to varietal with the Sauvignon Blanc coming in first, then the Chardonnay, and time in between to transition to the reds. In late September, we started bringing in Cabernet Sauvignon from across the valley for our ARTEMIS Cabernet Sauvignon and it was interesting that the grapes – all the way from the cooler Coombsville area up to the warmer parts of St. Helena – ripened at the same time. We completed the Cabernet harvest in October.
TASTING NOTES
This wine has a balanced nose with cassis, cinnamon, nutmeg and ripe persimmon notes. Full-bodied, the wine has a flavorful entrance filled with boysenberry, mocha and spice along with a structured mid-palate and long finish.
FOOD PAIRINGS
Try pairing this Cabernet Sauvignon with rack of lamb, coffee-crusted beef tenderloin or herb-crusted pork roast.