2006 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon:
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93+ Points - The Wine Advocate - Robert Parker - "The superb 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon boasts a dense ruby/purple color in addition to plentiful aromas of sweet black cherries, black currants, graphite, white chocolate, and a subtle note of smoky oak. With outstanding richness, texture, and equilibrium as well as sweet tannins (particularly for a 2006), this beauty will benefit from 2-5 years of cellaring, and should keep for 20+ years."

The beginning of the 2006 growing season was somewhat cool and wet prompting a decision to heavily thin most of our Cabernet Sauvignon fruit to nearly 1 cluster per shoot. Besides a heat-spiked June, the balance of the summer and fall delivered mild and mellow warm weather, allowing for even, steady ripening of the small crop. This resulted in excellent concentration of dark berry flavors, ripe fleshy tannin, and deep dark pigment. 20 Months aging in 80% new French oak barrels rounded out the palate even further, while adding more texture, aroma, and flavor components. Expect to find deep aromas of cassis, blackberry, dark chocolate, caramelized oak, toffee, and the Buoncristiani signatures of balance, depth on the mid palate, and a lengthy persistent finish.

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 on Howell Mountain, in Yountville, and in 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 unfined and unfiltered in July of 2008.

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