S.P. Drummer Wines

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THE WINE: This, the sixth vintage of S.P. Drummer wines, is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (fifty-five percent) and Cabernet Franc (forty-five percent) from the Blair Vineyard located on the Silverado Trail in Napa Valley. The vineyard site is characterized by gravelly alluvial deposit soils that support excellent drainage and soil sustainability. This stellar wine is the best Blair Vineyard designate produced to date. Crop levels were down 25-35% during 2004 in The Napa Valley because of poor fruit set, yielding smaller clusters with smaller berries. Smaller berry size yielded an intensely aromatic wine with deep color and rich fruit flavors. The blend is lush and concentrated with a ripe stone fruit complexity and elegance.

TASTING NOTES: The intensity of aromatics push forward with exotic flowers, violets and lavender reflective of fine Cabernet Franc. Ripe black cherries and plums with layered cassis aromas fill the glass and the senses. Flavors start as a layered core of ripe stone fruits that are deep and complex, full in the mouth, and yielding muscular, but velvety, tannins. The summation of both Cabernet varieties yields a lush and elegant wine.

WINEMAKING: Components were fermented and aged separately prior to blending and bottling. The Cabernet Sauvignon remained on the skins for thirty-three days to allow for tannin extraction and softening, while the Cabernet Franc was pressed at dryness for maximum aromatic retention. Consistent with the stylistic design of S.P. Drummer wines, in order to develop mouth feel and textural components, heavy doses of oxygen and multiple rackings were employed in the first year of the aging process. A minimal approach was employed in the second year, with only one or two rackings to ensure continued maturation and natural clarification. The wine was aged twenty months in fifty percent new French Oak.

Alcohol:	14.2%
Total Acid:	5.6 g/L
pH:	3.72
Total cases:	560 12-bottle cases

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THE WINE: This S.P. Drummer inaugural vintage of single varietal Cabernet Sauvignon is derived from two separate vineyards in the Napa Valley Oakville District. The 2004 Oakville District Cabernet Sauvignon of S.P. Drummer comes from vineyards in opposite sides of the district; one from the east side on the Silverado Trail, and the other from the west, off highway 29. The east side of the district is known for its gravelly alluvial soils yielding highly textured Cabernet Sauvignon while the west exhibits deeper clay-loam soils yielding concentrated and lush wines.

TASTING NOTES: Initially, the wine is characterized by a hint of anise, then aromas of crushed black plums become apparent with notes of cassis, lush ripe black fruits, sweet creamy mocha, and cigar box Sleek and elegant in the mouth, with the seamless texture of ripe black fruits that is both elegant and supple with incredible length.

WINEMAKING: Vineyards were fermented and aged in French oak barrels separately prior to blending and bottling. Skins were left macerating on both lots for a total of forty days to enhance structure and mouth feel. Consistent with the stylistic design of S.P. Drummer wines, in order to develop mouth feel and textural components, heavy doses of oxygen and multiple rackings were employed in the first year of the aging process. A minimal approach was employed in the second year, with only one or two rackings to ensure continued maturation and natural clarification. The wine was aged twenty-one months in sixty-five percent new French Oak.

Alcohol:	14.3%
Total Acid:	5.1 g/L
pH:	3.81
Total cases:	200 12-bottle cases

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THE VINEYARD: This, the fifth vintage of S.P. Drummer wines, is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (55%) and Cabernet Franc (45%) from the Blair Vineyard located between St. Helena and Calistoga on the Silverado Trial in Napa Valley. Other notable brands to make wine from this special site include Duckhorn, Rombauer, and Blair Estate Wines. The vineyard site, bordered by the Silverado Trail, Larkmead Lane, and Selby Creek is characterized by alluvial deposit soils. A combination of attentive winegrowing, excellent soil drainage and a very unique microclimate, yield fruit of the highest quality from the Blair Vineyard.

THE WINE: The 2003 harvest was a warm one in Napa Valley, which produced fully ripened fruit, and ripe, almost oily tannins. The 2003 vintage marks a subtle stylistic change, aiming for a more generous mouthfeel and riper tannins. “Cabernet Sauvignon grown on rocky sites such as the Blair Vineyard produce small berries with ample tannin structure. This Cabernet Franc is reminiscent of exotic black flowers and has an incredible density of flavor, almost atypical for the variety. I believe it is one of the top two or three sites for Cabernet Franc in North America”.

The components were fermented separately prior to blending. The Cabernet Sauvignon required heavy doses of oxygen and was racked three to four times in the first six months followed by an additional two rackings in the next twelve months, thus developing a beautiful viscous mouthfeel. This is complemented by the aromatic and exotic Cabernet Franc, creating a complex yet approachable wine. The wine was aged for eighteen months in French Oak (65% new).

Alcohol:	14.2%
Total Acid:	5.2 g/L
pH:	3.76
Total cases:	938 12-bottle cases

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THE VINEYARD: This, the fourth vintage of S.P. Drummer wines, is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (60%) and Cabernet Franc (40%) from the Blair Vineyard located between St. Helena and Calistoga on the Silverado Trial in Napa Valley. For nearly 20 years, grapes from this vineyard have been used in the making of premium wines such as Stags Leap, Caymus, T-Vine, Duckhorn, and Rombauer. The vineyard site, bordered by the Silverado Trail, Larkmead Lane, and Selby Creek is characterized by alluvial deposit soils. A combination of attentive winegrowing, excellent soil drainage, hot days, cold nights, provide a microclimate yielding fruit of the highest quality from this vineyard.

THE WINE: The 2002 harvest, with moderate temperature extremes during the ripening period, provided a growing season that yielded wines with full ripeness and well developed, finely balanced tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon grown on rocky sites such as the Blair Vineyard produce small berries with sweet tannins, which are important for mouth structure. The Cabernet Franc is reminiscent of exotic black flowers and has an incredible density of flavor, almost atypical for the variety. It is arguably one of the top two or three sites for Cabernet Franc in North America. The wines were fermented in open-topped tanks using punched down techniques, and aged in a high percentage of new French oak barrels.

Alcohol:	13.9%
Total Acid:	5.7 g/L
pH:	3.67
Total cases:	940 6-bottle cases produced 94 3-bottle 1.5L cases

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THE VINEYARDS:
50% Sonoma Carneros Merlot Sangiacomo Vineyards
40% Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
10% Napa Valley Cabernet Franc Blair Estate Vineyards

The Sangiacomo Merlot comes from a vineyard on the southwestern edge of Sonoma Carneros on a rocky, wind blown site. Utilizing Bordeaux clone 181, which produce limited yields of small clusters and tiny berries, this site provides the core fruit and character of this merlot-based blend. The Blair Vineyard Cabernet Franc gives seductive black floral aromas and palate entry richness. The Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, from fully mature eighteen year-old vines located in a warmer area of Sonoma Valley near Glen Ellen, provides tannic structure and fruit density.

THE WINE: This is the second vintage of Sonoma Valley blends from S.P. Drummer. The goal is to create a blend of Sonoma Valley wines based on cool climate Merlot with the aromatic component of Blair Cabernet Franc and textural components of Cabernet Sauvignon. This blend is atypical of California Bordeaux blends because merlot, not Cabernet, is the core. The aromatics are intense with notes of ripe black plums, the palette’s core tastes of black stone fruits, especially like Santa Rosa plums, with balanced acidity and mouth-coating tannins. The three vineyards were fermented separately in open top tanks and aged in a high percentage of new French Oak.

Alcohol:	13.9%
Total Acid:	5.8 g/L
pH:	3.72
Total cases:	880 6-bottle cases produced 100 3-bottle 1.5L cases

S.P. DRUMMER LIBRARY WINES