2006 Bell Cabernet Sauvignon, Clone 6, Rutherford, Napa Valley, 1.5L

Vinification
The grapes are hand-harvested and gently crushed to retain 40% whole berries. Prior to yeasting with Bordeaux red yeast, we cold soaked for 48 hours, increasing the richness and intensity of the fruit character. Color extraction utilizes a combination of manual pump overs via a screen during the initial fermentation, with gentle cap irrigation as the wine goes dry. The grapes were drained and pressed at dryness. The free-run and press wines were kept separate. Following fermentation the wine went through malo-lactic fermentation in the barrel. The wine was aged in 93% French oak, thin stave barrels for approximately 21 months and racked every other month to naturally clarify the wine and soften the tannins. With no filtration or fining, the wine was laid down in bottle for 12 months aging prior to release.

Vintage Notes
The 2006 growing season began with heavy rains and floods around the Napa Valley. Rainfall continued well into spring with later than usual bloom and set in June. A record heat wave in mid-July failed to damage vines as they were slightly behind in the cycle. Normal, mild weather returned in August and continued, allowing for paced ripening. Cold weather with rain in October slowed sugar accumulation while allowing extended hang time, which enhances maturity and optimal development of flavors. Overall, the season was an outstanding year and has produced wines with beautiful structure, great color, and high natural acidity.

Tasting Notes
Our 2006 vintage is characterized by dark ruby color, firm supple tannins, good natural acidity and concentrated flavors. Overtones of black cherry, currant and blackberry in combination with undertones of chocolate, coffee and pepper meld with the vanilla and cedar nuances of French oak in waves of complexity. On the palate the wine is deep and brooding, with great structure and depth of flavor. The wine has concentrated yet supple tannins, good fruit and acidity and a persistent finish, contributing to a finely balanced wine consistent with the classic Bordeaux style of our prior releases. This vintage shows great potential and promises to be long lived.

Technical Analysis
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon, 100%, Clone 6 Source: Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard, Rutherford, Napa Valley Harvest Date November 1, 2006 Harvest Sugar 27.4 Brix Harvest Acid 0.61 gm/100ml Total Acid 0.59 gm/100ml pH 3.64 Alcohol 14.8% Aging 21 months in 93% French Oak, 7% American Oak, 95% new Bottle Date July 2008 Production 42 cases