Camellia Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Dry Creek Valley Lencioni Vineyard 2004

Winemaker's Notes:

About This Wine: Our flagship Cabernet Vineyard continues to surprise and delight us. Robust flavors, proper tannins, and exceptional finish characterizes this great example of 100% Cabernet.<br/><br/> Although now in decline, this vineyard squeezes out small berries that lend substantial extraction leading to the intensity of this wine.<br/><br/> About The Winery: "Sangiovese, which is the great grape of Chianti, enjoyed a surge of popularity in California a few years ago, but we have found too many of them candy - sweet, clumsy and lacking the charm of the real thing from Italy-and at higher price, to boot. This is a big exception. It tastes like fleshy red fruit and earth, bursting with ripe berries, plums and cherries, but it has a dry finish with some bite." Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher, The Wall Street Journal - September 16, 2005<br/><br/> Chris Lewand, with her father Ray Lewand and partner Bruce Snyder, form a unique wine producing team. While they have individual divisions of responsibility, each of them contributes to all aspects of running a small premium winery.<br/><br/> Managing partner Chris Lewand coordinates all the business activities while leading the public relations efforts and making tasting and blending decisions with Ray and Bruce. Bruce Snyder oversees production but relishes the opportunity to put on clean clothes and show the wines anywhere he can. Ray leads the occasional special tastings for guests of the family's bed and breakfast, the Camellia Inn in Healdsburg, and helps around with whatever the activity of the day happens to be.<br/><br/> The result is small lots of premium wines. Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Sangiovese, and their proprietary blend have received awards and glowing reviews. The Camellia Cellars line of premium wines reflects their hard work and distinctive food-friendly style.<br/><br/> They have, through the years, made wine from nearly every Sonoma appellation. While currently working with three lovely small vineyards in Dry Creek Valley, the search for the "right grapes in the right spot" never ceases.<br/><br/> About The Vineyards Widely praised for its big, bold zinfandels, Sonoma County also produces outstanding Bordeaux varietals from warmer locations such as Dry Creek Valley. Lencioni Vineyards is situated on the eastern bench of Dry Creek Valley at 400 feet of elevation. The property overlooks the Lytton Springs area to the east and the middle portion of Dry Creek Valley to the west. Angelo Lencioni established the vineyards in 1898 with over 100 acres of cabernet sauvignon in 1988.<br/><br/> The warm, dry Mediterranean climate of Dry Creek Valley is ideal for cabernet sauvignon. Vines at this hilltop location are fully exposed to long sunny days for much of the growing season. The extended sunlight encourages grapes to achieve optimum ripeness while the cool nights build essential acids. Fruit slowly develops deeply tinted skins with intense flavors and soft tannins. Prevailing dry westerly winds minimize potential threats from frost and mildew. Annual rainfall is 40 inches while fog is minimal.<br/><br/> Cabernet clone #7 was planted on St. George rootstock and later trained on vertical two-wire trellising. “This clone gives rise to deep blackberry and cassis flavors,” says grower Fred Ginn,” while the unfailing St. George rootstock maintains a well-balanced, low-vigor vine.”<br/><br/> Soils mostly consist of a rocky bronze-red clay-loam. They are relatively lean and provide excellent drainage. This terroir – the overall effect of climate, geology, topography and vines – produces small berries with complex, concentrated characteristics.<br/><br/> Technical Analysis: <strong>Varietals:</strong> 100% Cabernet Sauvignon<br/><br/> <strong>Bottled:</strong> June 26, 2007<br/><br/> <strong>Finished Alcohol:</strong> 14.8%<br/><br/> <strong>Cases Produced:</strong> 270<br/><br/>