2020 Battuello Cabernet Sauvignon
ABOUT DISTINGUISED VINEYARDS
We are fortunate to source grapes from some of the best Cabernet Sauvignon growers in the Napa Valley. To honor the vineyards that stand out, each year we produce the Distinguished Vineyards wines. In 2020, we chose Battuello Vineyard in St. Helena as one of those vineyards because of their rich history and commitment to quality.
VINEYARDS & WINEMAKING
The Battuello Vineyard is a fourth-generation, family-run vineyard in St. Helena – with the fifth generation already living on the farm. The current patriarch (Craig) and his sons (Dave and Mark) meticulously farm the vineyard. Craig and Dave jointly-own the vineyard and Dave takes great pride in carrying on the family tradition. Known for an impeccable farming style, each block is farmed individually.
VINTAGE
A dry and hot growing season, coupled with a global pandemic, and multiple wildfires made 2020 a year we won’t forget. Due to the dry winter, we started more tillage than normal in February to preserve soil moisture and reduce competition. Rain right at bloom interrupted fruit set and provided a “natural fruit thinning” that brought the crop in balance relative to the dry soil conditions. We were excited during the heart of the growing season, as vines were in balance, and the timing of impactful viticulture practices (leafing, crop adjustment, etc.) was nearly perfect. Several heat events, including a three-day heat spike over Labor Day weekend, led to an early harvest. This was the year of the LNU Complex Wildfire and the Glass Fire Complex. As we do every vintage, we taste grapes daily in the vineyards and back up what we are tasting with lab analysis. We are fortunate to have ready access to our own lab as well as the tools necessary to make educated picking, winemaking and bottling decisions, ensuring overall wine quality. The warm weather during this vintage produced wines with a riper character. We are very pleased with the resulting wines from the 2020 vintage (although there won’t be as many bottles) to carry our legacy forward.
TASTING NOTES
This elegant Cabernet Sauvignon has vibrant aromas of crushed raspberries, spices, mint, black cherry, violets, and a very aromatic nose. The wine has a soft structure, juicy mid-palate, and smooth finish with dark fruit flavors.
FOOD PAIRINGS
Enjoy this wine with chuck roast or a classic Bolognese.