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1992 Calistoga Cuvee Cabernet Sauvignon

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Winemaker's Notes
Our Calistoga Cuvee is a wine designed to show the distinctive characteristics of our Viticultural Area, the Calistoga District.  Known for high daytime temperatures and colder nights than the rest of the valley, the higher elevations and austere soils make for excellent red wines throughout the district.  Those wine lovers familiar with the great red wine vineyards of the Napa Valley may recognize a few of these names…Three Palms, Diamond Creek, Eisele Vineyard, Larkmead [historical] and The Chateau Montelena Estate, all located within the Calistoga District.  The wines grown in this district tend to be very strong, but in 1990 we installed a new De-Stemmer/Crusher that allows precise tannin management via careful grape handling during the harvest.  We make this wine to be nice and dark, with fully developed flavors, but its body and texture are quite a bit softer and earlier to drink than a Montelena Estate Cabernet.

Vintage Weather
Temperate Consistent. Low rainfall, with classic warm days and cool nights throughout the season. Harvest started a little earlier then normal. Cooling trend after Labor Day allowed for more hang time and strong flavor development.

Tasting Notes
The Chateau Montelena 1992 Calistoga Cuvee wine is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, but also includes Merlot, Cabernet Franc and even a little Zinfandel, from our vineyards spread out over the upper Valley, for the most part neighbors to the famous vineyards mentioned above.  It has a tremendous black cherry nose, just a glass full of black fruits, and background tones of plumy Cabernet character.  The color is very nice dark ruby.  Now remember this is not some wimpy weakling made “Lighter”!  No way!  It’s really tasty, with intense fruit flavors that follow the nose.  The texture is the key…it’s very soft and smooth, yet finely structured.  We feel very strongly that our use of newer grape handling technology will give us wines with all the richness and concentration that the Calistoga District is known for yet they won’t demand years of cellaring prior to achieving a supple drinkability.

This wine will accompany a wide variety of foods due to its being mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, but we’re even using it as an aperitif for some winery functions due to it’s friendly nature.  Check it Out!

Bo Barrett, Winemaker