Winemaker notes- This year gave ample opportunity for challenge to wine growers and winemakers in Napa Valley. It was a cool year, with very slow development of ripeness. This brought about a very late harvest. In fact, because Cabernet is a late variety in itself, the harvest was exceptionally late. Some grapes were thus caught by the rainfall at the end of harvest. It was a harvest more similar to Bordeaux than the Napa Valley. The Cask 23, because of the early ripening location, escaped the rain entirely. The color of the wine itself reveals this favorable circumstance- it is deep, undiminished and attractive. Rich, dark, cedary, overtones in the fruit of the nose carry forward this impression to the lively, textured, Cabernet spiciness of flavors. There is a wonderful interplay here between a certain austerity in the structure and the vibrancy of the layered flavors. This creates palate interest, which continues to the completion of the long resonant finish. The wine has outstanding balance of acid/tannin- its overall impression is one of elegance on a substantial scale.