The 2011 Joel Gott 815 Cabernet Sauvignon has aromas of cherry, blackberry, cinnamon spice, and vanilla toast. On the front of the palate the wine has silky yet robust tannins, ending with a soft finish and lingering minerality.

Across California, the 2011 vintage was cooler, making for a lighter and later harvest than normal typified by wines with more spice, red fruit and lush tannins. In Napa, as with most regions for this vintage, the cool, late harvest made for elegant, complex wines with good color. Lake County fruit added minerality and richness, and Lodi offered dark fruit flavors and colors, along with a soft texture. Sonoma fruit contributed spice and good acidity, while the Paso Robles region provided fruit with good flavor maturity and development. By not limiting ourselves to sourcing from a single appellation, we get to pick the best fruit from vineyards throughout California to create a truly balanced wine.

After harvest, fruit from each vineyard is hand-sorted at our winery and de-stemmed before being fermented in individual lots. The lots are aged for just over a year in oak, and tasted frequently for tannin and flavor development. Finally, the lots are blended to balance the characteristics of each vineyard.

Varietal:
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Appellation:
California
Napa Valley
Sonoma County
Lodi
Lake County
Paso Robles
Barrel:
26% new American oak
Alcohol:
13.9%