Joseph Phelps Vineyards: 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon

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BLEND & GRAPE SOURCES:
86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, from estate-owned vineyards and independent growers.

HARVEST DATES: Sept. 17 – Oct. 15, 2001.

WINEMAKING DATA:
Grapes were harvested at an average 24.8º Brix, fermented in stainless steel tanks, then aged 18 months in a combination of new French and American oak barrels (30%) and two- to four-year-old French and American oak (70%), before being blended and bottled in June, 2002.

The 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon is filled with black cherry and blackberry aromas, underscored with a hint of graphite. Fruit extract and undertones of sweet oak linger on the palate, ending in a long, balanced finish.

The 2001 vintage produced extremely balanced, concentrated and flavorful fruit with generous yields, despite a variable growing season usually associated with less successful years.

A warm spring resulted in early budbreak, followed by a few days of freezing temperatures which caused some detrimental frost in early April (a natural thinning!). Prior to flowering, record high temperatures in early May caused rapid vine growth, and maturation was further accelerated by heat spikes in early June. Finally, mild temperatures in July and August provided ideal growing and ripening conditions and allowed vines to recover from their growth spurt in the spring.

Harvest began at the beginning of September with Sauvignon Blanc. Some of the early-maturing red varieties were harvested on September 10th with fully developed flavors and tannins. The mild temperatures which followed allowed further hang time and flavor development for the later-maturing Cabernet Sauvignon. Finally, the advent of hot, dry weather which maintained its grip through most of October afforded even the most stubborn vineyards a chance to ripen and produce some of their best fruit since 1997.

WINEMAKING QUOTES:
Robert M. Parker, Jr., THE WINE ADVOCATE 8-31-02

“This is a superlative vintage in the North Coast. a cool (but not excessively so) growing season was followed by fabulous weather in September and October, allowing producers to harvest at their leisure . . . All things considered, this is a great vintage for all varietals.”