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	RELEASE DATE:  December 2002 BLEND & GRAPE SOURCES: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 6% Petite Verdot and 4% Malbec from estate-owned vineyards and independent growers. WINEMAKING DATA: Grapes were harvested between September 19 and October 25 at an average 24.° Brix, fermented in stainless steel tanks, then aged 20 months in a combination of new French and American oak barrels (40%) and two- to four-year-old French and American oak (60%), before being blended and bottled in June, 2002. Despite the difficult weather conditions, when our Cabernet fruit was finally harvested it displayed deep color, dense, extractive flavors and near-ideal sugar/acid levels. The finished wine is softer and more accessible than last year’s, with lush ripe flavors of cedar and cassis.
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