
2016 Lancaster Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley
Winemaker Notes
The 2016 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon captures the pure expression of our unique terroir at
Lancaster Estate. It is a blend of all five of the red Bordeaux varietals we have planted on
our volcanic hillside vineyards. Deep in color, it reveals a complex nose of black currant,
plum, anise, and violet. Refined and polished tannins provide amazing structure and depth
that complement commanding flavors of dark plum, black currant, blackberry, savory leather
, and dark chocolate. An incredible display of the rich and concentrated flavors that come from
our estate vineyards, this wine glides across the palate for a long, decadent finish. This wine
should be decanted when young, and will only gain in complexity for the next 15-20 years.
Composition
91% Cabernet Sauvignon,
5% Merlot, 2% Malbec, 1% Petit Verdot,
1% Cabernet Franc
Wine Specs
Vintage
2016
Varietal
Cabernet Sauvignon
Acid
5.53 g/L
pH
3.85
Aging
24 months in 100% French oak; 60% new
Bottling Date
January 22, 2019
Alcohol %
14.50
Production Notes
The 2016 growing season brought fruit
of exceptional quality and concentration.
We had sufficient rainfall in the
winter to help alleviate drier than
average conditions in recent years.
Temperatures were moderate with
some minor heat spikes in June and
July. However, a cooling off period in
August led to ideal conditions at
harvest. The wines from this vintage
have great uniformity, concentration
and outstanding balance.
Consistent with Lancaster Estate’s
commitment to making wines of
authenticity and place, all of our wines
are estate grown, produced and bottled.
Native yeasts are used for primary
fermentation while secondary malolactic
fermentation occurs naturally in barrel. To preserve the truest expression of our
estate, the Lancaster Estate 2016 Cabernet
Sauvignon was gently fined and
then bottled unfiltered. This 2016 was aged 24 months in 100%
French oak. We chose barrels from
several coopers including Darnajou,
Taransaud, Demptos, Ermitage, Saury,
Bel Air and Sylvain. 60% of the barrels
were new and all were coopered using a
combination of Medium, Medium Plus,
Medium Long, and Heavy toast levels
to provide optimal integration and
balance.