R&B 2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

cabernet sauvignon

The 2005 Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon celebrates the eighth year of the Reserve Cabernet legacy at R&B Cellars. An extraordinary wine with remarkable depth and complexity. Black fruits dominate the nose and flavor profile with elements of tea, blackberry and violets in the bouquet and a huge juicy blackberry finish. The small addition of Cabernet Franc enhances the structure, the color and adds beautiful exotic spice. The French oak imparts delicate nuances of cassis, and dusty, dark chocolate. This is a classic Cabernet Sauvignon with all of the exotic spice and layers of fruit you would expect from a Reserve wine.

Vineyards: Bingham Ranch ~ The Bingham Ranch in Calistoga is one of the oldest Cabernet vineyards in the Napa Valley, dating back to 1850s. There are three parcels of vines used in our Cabernet, one is 55 years old, another is 35 years old, and the third is 17 years old. It is a small berry clone with very low yields, approximately one and a half tons per acre. The resulting fruit is very intensely flavored with a rich dark blackberry profile that makes intensely structured Cabernet Sauvignon.

Cellar Practices and Winemaking: Perfectly ripe grapes were harvested in early November 2005. They were crushed into a stainless tank and cold soaked at 50F for 5 days. The temperature was increased to 70F, and cultured yeast fermentation started and lasted thirty days at a peak temperature of 90F. The grapes were gently pressed and the resulting wine racked into barrels, which were 100% new French oak 60 gallon barrels from ten different French coopers: Vicard, Seguin Moreau, St. Martin, Billon, Trieul, Ermitage, Boutes, Jarnac, Bel Air and Chalufour. The Cabernet was blended in the classical way with small amounts of Cabernet Franc added from a vineyard in El Dorado. The wine was aged for 36 months in oak and given an additional 24 months of bottle age prior to release.

Vineyards & Composition

Vineyards
97% Bingham Ranch, Calistoga in Napa Valley
3% Verbitsky Ranch, El Dorado

Composition
97% Cabernet Sauvignon
3% Cabernet Franc

Harvest Date:
October 27 - November 4, 2005
Bottled: April 2008
Released: October 2010
Production: 1000 750ml Cases and 200 cases 375ml

Awards

Triple Gold Medal "Best of Class" "Judges Choice - 2010 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

Double Gold Medal - Tasters Guild Consumer Wine Awards

Platinum Medal - Critics Challenge International Wine Competition

Top Honors Gold Medal / 94 Points - Denver International Wine Competition

Distinguished Gold Medal - Lodi International Wine Competition

Gold Medal - Dallas Morning News Wine Compeititon

Gold Medal - Affairs of the Vine Cabernet Shoot-Out