There’s an alpine freshness to the Circle Hill Cabernet Sauvignon, with breezy wafts of boysenberry jam and cherry juice. Delicate green notes of tomato leaf and dried herbs provide a lively contrast to the fruit-forward entry. On the palate, blueberry melds with vanilla cream before a balanced backdrop of well-integrated oak. Additional layers unfurl, revealing notes of raspberry jam, marshmallow and wet cement. Dimpled tannins and a pleasant streak of acidity lend impressive length and structure, characteristic of the revered Circle Hill Vineyard. Built for aging, this Cabernet will develop beautifully over the next 5 to 12 years. When ready to enjoy, pair it with a rustic panzanella salad with lardons for a perfect complement.
The 2022 growing season in Napa Valley saw record-breaking weather events, with 80% of the total rainfall arriving before the new year. This filled vineyard ponds for the first time in two years but was followed by the driest three months on record, leading to an early bud break. Despite the dry spell, healthier canopies resulted from earlier rains. The summer was generally average but slightly warmer than 2021. Harvest started 5 to 7 days earlier than the previous year and was 15% lighter but of exceptional quality. A Labor Day heat wave accelerated harvest, later cooled by a late September rain event. Overall, the 2022 harvest was the most condensed in recent memory.
The grapes were hand-harvested at night from September 9th through September 13th when temperatures often dip to 50˚F to capture vibrant acidity and fruit expression in the wine. We first cold-soaked the must (crushed grapes) for gentle extraction and then ferment in stainless steel, concrete and oak barrel fermenters at 88˚F. Rigorous pump-overs, increasing during the peak of the fermentation, developed deep color, rich varietal character and fine tannins in the wine. The wine was aged in 75% new French oak barrels to meld the bright fruit expression with oak spice nuances. After three months of aging, we blended the vineyard components allowing them to marry for a total of 20 months of barrel èlevage. This wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered to present the attributes of the vineyard in the purest form possible, from the dirt to the glass!
