Alexander Valley - Cabernet Sauvignon - School Reserve2008

RED WINE

Food pairing

A herb crusted (thyme, rosemary, mint) rack of lamb along with garlic mashed potatoes.

Tasting notes

In 2008 we had record frosts, generally drought-like conditions and a roller coaster ride of temperatures which additionally reduced yields and led to more concentration in the wine. Winemaker Kevin Hall says: " From the beginning this lot was something special, it had intense concentration and structure and was richer than our other lots. Prolonged time in French oak barrels after fermentation helped to soften the tannins in this big wine. There are aromas of cassis, black cherry, cedar and earthy notes. Wonderful flavors of cassis, oak, vanilla and black cherry fill the glass along with great structure and length. The intense concentration and a great balance will allow this wine to age gracefully for 10-15 years. "

Vintage 2008

Hank Wetzel produced AVV's first wines in 1975 and the wine world quickly took notice of the elegant Cabernet Sauvignons from Alexander Valley. Thirty years later in 2004 he decided to focus on the flavor profile that made the valley famous and released a single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon known as the Alexander School Reserve. The 2008 Single Vineyards Selection was harvested from a small 7.58 acre valley floor vineyard located on the Wetzel Family Estate behind the Alexander Valley School. The vineyard's alluvial soil was planted in 1997 to Clones 337 and 8. It has been written that both clones likely originated from early Bordeaux cuttings. They flourish in Bordeaux like soils and climate; a warm, sunny climate punctuated by nighttime cooling like that found in the Alexander Valley. Clone 337 has low yielding vines that produce very tiny berries with concentrated, rich flavors, while Clone 8 produces good fruit strength and herbal character. This small lot was farmed to produce low yields, we cane pruned the vines to 2.8 tons per acre to ramp up the structure and concentration.“