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2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Growing Season

To Kalon Vineyard (Oakville)

The extremely dry growing season and moderate temperatures in 2007 produced fewer clusters and smaller berries than in '06. Small berries make for a greater skin to pulp ratio. This equates to more concentrated and complex flavor development. In mid-August, Napa experienced an uncharacteristic two-week, fog-free toasting trend. The first couple days of these warm evenings were a nice change of pace, however, the warmer temps meant accelerated ripening. Very warm temps can cause berries to ripen more quickly than the stems or seeds. Following this two week period, more moderate temperatures settled over Napa and slowed the sugar development down to give stems and seeds a chance to more fully mature. The cooling trend helped extend the growing season by several weeks, enabling clusters and stems to move through adolescence and produce wondrous complexity in the grapes. Fantastic.

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