Enology

Varietals

Reds

Cabernet Sauvignon

Spring Mountain VineyardAltogether there are over 135 vineyard blocks on the estate planted to Bordeaux grape varieties. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot are also grown. These varieties are grown in a variety of locations on the vineyard. They are made into wine and after a selection process are assembled into a single estate wine.

There is a huge variation in the growing conditions on the estate. The coolest parts of the vineyard are in the high canyons that face north. In the hottest years these vineyard blocks produce their best wines. The shallow soils on the mid and lower vineyard blocks that face east and south are the warmest. These blocks produce their best wines in the coldest years. The diversity of the vineyard gives the winemaker a broad spectrum of wines to select from during assemblage. No matter the vintage, something wonderful always appears in a fermenting tank.

One of the dominating characteristics of black grape varieties on Spring Mountain is their strength of character. No matter what grape variety the wines are usually deeply colored, richly scented, and full of tannin. Spring Mountain's strength can also be its weakness. Some of the wines can be too intense in flavor. These occasional lots can be awkward and ponderous. The challenge on Spring Mountain is finding elegance.

The power of the Spring Mountain grape allows the winemaker to employ gentle winemaking techniques to his red wines. The winemaking objective is to produce exceptional wines that show the power and depth of the mountain fruit, yet through gentle winemaking, possess elegance as well as strength.