Rudd Oakville Estate Proprietary 2002

Winemaker's Notes:

The 2002 Rudd Oakville Estate Proprietary Red is the third vintage from our replanted vineyard at the corner of Oakville Crossroad and Silverado Trail. This benchland vineyard is planted in rocky, red volcanic soils at the foot of the Vaca Mountains using high density planting and low rigor rootstock to encourage the vines to produce smaller, highly concentrated berries. The 2002 was made primarily from Clone 337 Cabernet Sauvignon, a Bordeaux clone that has proven very successful at expressing our Oakville terroir. The 2002 growing season began almost a week later than normal but, with a warm spring, was back on track by bloom in late May. Alternately cool, then hot weather during bloom resulted in a flowering period that promoted even ripening with slightly below average crop levels. Harvest began a few days earlier than normal, with Malbec on September 4, followed by Merlot and Petit Verdot between September 9 and 11. The Cabernet Franc was harvested on September 16 and 18, followed by the Cabernet Sauvignon between September 17 and 26. Though weather during harvest was dry, cool spells interspersed with two brief heat spikes ultimately allowed for ideal flavor development in the grapes. As a result, the wine has ripe, concentrated, black fruit and mineral aromatics and flavors with a deep, rich mid-palate and a long, wellintegrated finish. After 19 to 31 days on the skins, the wine went into barrel for twenty months. It was fined in barrel with fresh egg whites and bottle unfiltered in June 2004. Blend: 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot, 3% Merlot and 1% Malbec Appellation: Oakville Fermentation: Native yeast and natural malolactic Aging: 20 months in finegrained Chateau-style French oak; 95% new Cases produced: 2200 Release Date: October 2005