 |
Appellation: |
Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District |
Vineyards: |
Miravalle |
Clones: |
Spottswoode |
Varietal: |
Sauvignon Blanc 97%, Muscat de Frontignan 3% |
Aged: |
6 Months in 25% New, 50% 2nd Fill, 25% 3rd Fill French Oak Barrels |
Bottled: |
May 5, 1996 |
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|
Winemaker Notes |
| Aromas of citrus and spicy oak are predominant with
hints of apples and vanilla. The wine has a full,
round entry and a smooth, viscous evolution. The
flavors echo the bouquet. The wine has good concentration
with a smooth lingering finish. As the wine ages
in the bottle the bouquet will become more intriguing
and an oiliness will develop which adds to a sense of
concentration and length. |
|
The 1995 Vintage |
| 1995 was the year of the great rains. Heavy rainfall
in January and March evolved into a mild Spring with bud
break occurring in early April. Bloom time was accompanied
by rainfall that reduced the berries per cluster. A small crop that was hastened in ripening by brief heat
spikes in June, a consider-ably warm August and a cool
September that was punctuated by several hot days that
gave a boost to complete harvest. |
|
Spring Mountain Sauvignon Blanc |
| First produced in 1993, the grapes now come from two of our vineyards: La Perla and Miravalle, the property originally planted by Tiburcio Parrott in 1885. Miravalle is one of the warmest areas
on the estate, which ensures fully ripened grapes. La Perla is planted meter by meter (high density) and gobelet trained. This wine expresses a richness along with a backbone that enables
this wine to develop complexity for several years after its original release. |
|
Spring Mountain Vineyard |
| Originally four individual historic Napa Valley properties, Miravalle, La Perla, Alba, and Chevalier have now been combined to create an 850 acre estate of forest and vineyard on the eastern slopes of Spring Mountain overlooking the small town of Saint Helena. Over 225 acres of the estate are planted to vine, creating 135 separate hillside vineyard blocks each with its own unique soil, exposure, and microclimate. The vineyard is planted in densities of 4,000 vines per acre and trained to the ancient gobelet form, a vertical trellising method that was invented in an earlier millennium by the Romans. |
Detailed Analysis |
|
| Alcohol |
13.5% v/v |
| Total Acidity |
6.2 g/L |
| pH |
3.24 |
| Volatile Acidity |
0.061 g/100 mL |
| Residual Sugar |
0.09 g/100 mL |
| Malic Acid |
1.13 g/L |
| Flavonoid Phenolics |
N/A |
| Non-Flavonoid |
N/A |
| Total Phenolics |
N/A |
| Total SO2 |
80 mg/L @bottling |
| Free SO2 |
25 mg/L@ bottling |
| Vineyards: |
Miravalle |
| Appellation: |
Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District |
| Grape Varieties |
Sauvignon Blanc 97%, Muscat de Frontignan 3% |
| Heat Summation |
(4/1 -10/15) 30-99º days |
| Total Rainfall |
(Jan - Dec) 67.75" |
| Season Rainfall |
(4/1 - 10/15) 6.33" |
| Harvest Period |
September 21st-October 26th |
| Ferm Regime |
50% Tank |
| Ferm Temp |
Tank: 57°F |
| Yeast |
Prise de Mousse, ¼ #/1000 gals |
| Juice Yield |
148 gals/ton |
| Barrel Type |
French Export (22-25 mm stave) |
| Toast Level |
Medium plus |
| Barrel Age: |
25% New, 50% 2nd fill, 25% 3rd |
| Time in Barrel |
6 Months |
| Barrel Maker |
Seguin Moreau, Demptos |
| Fining |
Milk 0.1 ml/l, Isinglass 10 mg/l |
| Filtration |
(1 pass) SWK KS 80 (clarifying) |
| Bottling Date |
5/9/96 |
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