WINEMAKING DATA:
Grapes were harvested at an average 24.7° Brix, fermented in stainless steel tanks, then aged 24 months in new French oak barrels manufactured by Taransaud, Dargaud Jaegle and Darnajou. The wine was bottled without filtration in January, 2009.

Aromas in the 2006 Backus are layered with classic notes of crushed rock, ripe blackberry, plum, dark chocolate and violet. The full mid-palate is dominated by flavors of mineral, mocha and dense fruit. Incredible concentration, structure and depth are the backbone of this wine and lead to the rich long finish.

2006 Vintage Notes

The 2006 growing season started slowly with bud break two weeks behind the historical average. The season began with an abundance of moisture in the soil from the winter rains, and the weather was fairly cool with a significant amount of cloud cover and periodic rain showers during the spring. April brought five inches of rain. Bloom dates in 2006 were behind the average by one week yet conditions were excellent, yielding good fruit set.

There was a record setting 10 day heat wave near the end of July. Most blocks had an exceptionally long veraison period beginning in early August, particularly in the Petit Verdot and Merlot. This may have been an effect caused by the extreme temperatures in July during berry formation.

The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Backus Vineyard is performing even better than it did from barrel last year. A dense ruby/purple hue is followed by scents of creosote, burning embers, black currants, cedar, and spice box. Dense, rich, powerful and concentrated... 93+ Points.