2008 Simi Landslide Cabernet Sauvignon

Tasting Notes:
This vintage of Landslide is deeper, darker, and more sultry in nature than usual, with great concentration of fruit both blue and black in nature. Opaque deep red with a vibrant ruby edge, this wine entices with warm and inviting aromas of sweet black cherry, cassis, plum, blackberry, raspberry, dark roasted coffee, brown sugar, vanilla, and smoky mineral notes. On the palate, dark berries and plums meet up with roasted coffee accents. The entry is big, full, and rich, followed by a focused middle and a youthful fi nish with a slight grip and dark roasted offering.

Vineyard Notes:
It is fair to say that the 2008 growing season in our Landslide Vineyard leaned toward the memorable side. Rainfall during the winter measured well below average and we experienced surprisingly late spring frost. A moderate growing season followed. Grape clusters were limited in number and the berries themselves were small. So yields were astonishingly low. But what we did produce ranked very high in quality. We harvested Landslide by hand during the morning hours, starting on September 23 and ending October 17. Once all was said and done, Brix at harvest ranged from 24.7 to 26.6 degrees—just where we like the sugar levels to end up for this wine.

Winemaker Notes:
Simi Landslide Cabernet Sauvignon refl ects our dramatic estate vineyard in the Alexander Valley where the fruit for this wine was grown. We blended in 7% Cabernet Franc to add an element of spice and cassis, and 5% Merlot to add softness and suppleness. Small amounts of Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Tannat add even more dimension to the aromatics and rich fruit fl avors. During fermentation, the developing wine remained on the skins for 35 days to increase extraction and color. We then aged all of the wine in small French oak barrels (64% new) for 26 months.

Food Pairing:
This Cabernet Sauvignon pairs beautifully with beef Stroganoff, chickenfried steak with mushroom gravy, grilled Greek rack of lamb, and wild mushroom lasagna.

Production:
Cases Produced: 484