2002 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon:
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Wine Spectator - 91 Points

"Inky in color, with superripe currant, plum and wild berry fruit, this wine pushes the envelope of ripeness without going overboard. Intense and concentrated, it shows a touch of heat on the finish, but that's a minor quibble given the enormity and excitement of the flavors. Best from 2007 through 2012." (JL)

Patience was tested in the 2002 growing season in the Napa Valley. A wet spring was followed by moderate summer conditions, forecasting a long cool season. The pattern quickly changed and the month of September delivered extremely hot and dry weather causing early accumulation of high sugars and stressed vine canopies. Some Napa winemakers scrambled to pick, fearing the vines and clusters would crash. However, the flavors, acids and tannins in the grapes did not follow the dehydration induced high sugars, so we exercised our patience and took the chance to let the fruit hang. To our delight, waiting for true ripeness paid off. The following month of October was very even and moderately warm, allowing our fruit to reach optimum concentration of pigment, tannin, flavor, and varietal expression.

To ensure our highest standard of quality, grapes were sourced from vineyards managed by Buoncristiani or from other Napa Valley growers who adhere to our strict viticultural philosophy. This blend was handcrafted from small lots harvested exclusively from vineyards in Calistoga, Yountville, and Coombsville. These small batches were kept separate during fermentation, after pressing, and throughout the first year of aging in French oak barrels. During the second year of barrel aging, the components were blended in several phases creating optimum complexity while retaining balance, varietal character, and superior quality. This wine was aged in barrels for 20 months and bottled in July of 2004.

We, the Buoncristiani brothers, take pride in performing all aspects of enology, viticulture, wine production, and art design in order to share with you a true expression of our winemaking passion.

P.O. Box 6946 -- Napa, CA 94581 -- Phone: (707)259-1681 -- Fax: (707)259-1740 -- bros@buonwine.com