The grapes for this wine are sourced from the Longtable Vineyard on Mt. Veeder, nestled deep in the Mayacamas Range that borders the west side of Napa Valley.  Winemaker John Hazak feels that “Mt. Veeder is like a window that looks into the Napa Valley of 40 years ago: a wild, undeveloped frontier, home to small family grape growers preferring a handshake to a contract.  The wines display wild berries and other dark fruits, floral notes, and powerful intensity.”  Looking for an opportunity to highlight yet another great Cabernet clone, John was so impressed with the quality of the Clone 169 block in the 2018 vintage that the solution was obvious.  This Cabernet clone is a more recent addition to the Napa Valley, selected in Bordeaux by the institute of research called INRA, then imported to the U.S. in 1997.  This clone is known for its small berries and moderate yield, looking physically closest to Clones 7 and 337 with slightly smaller clusters.  However, in character, this clone is a fortuitous middle-point between Clones 6 and 4, possessing the concentration of Clone 6 and the elegance of Clone 4.  The wines it produces are typically dense and complex, with a subtle dark berry and almost ethereal character: modest, yet confident.

 

The grapes are hand-harvested and gently crushed to retain 70% whole berries.  Grape extraction was done with gentle cap irrigations, and occasional punchdowns (cap submersion).  The grapes were drained and pressed at dryness.  The free-run and press wines were kept separate.  Following fermentation, the wine went through malolactic fermentation in barrel.  The wine was aged in 67% new French oak barrels for 20 months and racked twice to naturally clarify the wine and soften the tannins.  With light filtration and no fining, the wine was bottled and laid down for 12 months prior to release.

 

2018 was a seamless season of heavenly hang time and phenomenal phenolic development.  February saw abundant rains, followed by lots of filtered light in spring and early summer.  Both bud break and flowering occurred a bit late, but under ideal weather conditions, creating plentiful and even fruit set.  Summer brought generous sun during the day and cooler marine influences, virtually uninterrupted by major heat spikes.  The relatively mild summer followed by extended fall sunshine and moderate heat created near-ideal conditions for winemakers to allow their fruit to accumulate flavor complexity with gradual increases in sugar levels.  The volume harvested was a 20% - 30% increase over recent low average crop quantities.

 

Our clone 169 Cabernet sauvignon is a worthy addition to the family of Cabernet clones that Bell specializes in expressing.  The dark, inky color in the glass draws you in to notes of rich wild berry, chaparral, and a subtle toast.  The palate is the most primal of our clone wines, demonstrating a youthful, saturated wine with dark purple fruits , and with a hint of supportive oak.  A long flavorful finish, balanced texture, and fine grained tannins frame the flavors and denote a wine that is going to be very long-lived, and certainly one of our favorites from this special vintage.