For our 2005 Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon we hand picked the grapes in early November at the peak of ripeness. The grapes were picked at dawn and the cool night time temperature was retained in the grapes. We gently crushed and destemmed the grapes into half-ton fermentation bins.

After 24 hours, we innoculated the must with yeast selected specifically for Cabernet Sauvignon. The must was then hand punched four times per day to gently extract soft tannins and the deep ruby color. This process lasted for 10 days, at which time the must was lightly pressed off the skins in our basket press straight to barrel.

We aged this wonderful Cabernet in both French and American cooperage, of which 40% was new, for 15 months, racking the wine by gravity twice during that period until bottling in early Spring of 2007.

The result of all of our hands-on, minimum interventionist winemaking is in the bottle. Well maybe not for long!