M2 2004 Clone 6 Cabernet Sauvignon

Vineyard Notes:
Our Clone Six Cabernet Sauvignon comes from a six-acre block of vines planted in 1978 in the southern part of the Rutherford District of Napa Valley. The vineyard is about 50 yards from the Napa River and the soil is mostly gravel and sandy loam. Clone Six is a highly prized and unique clonal selection of Cabernet. It is difficult to grow, susceptible to shatter and produces less than two tons to the acre in a good year. Loose, open clusters of berries far smaller than typical of Cabernet is normal for Clone Six. However, these characteristics are ideal for making wine of varietal character, depth and power.

Tasting Notes:
This is classic Rutherford Cab, the palate is fruit-forward with notes of raspberries, blueberries, distinctive flavors of black cherry, cassis, mineral along with hints of sweet oak and a structure reminiscent of the wines of Bordeaux. This young wine already drinks well and should easily support five to ten years of cellaring.

Winemaking Notes:
2004 marks the third year that Layne and Chris have made wine from this vineyard. Fermentation was long and slow; handling was extremely gentle and the wine aged 17 months in new French oak barrels. Ok, what’s this “Clone Six” business? Within the different grape varieties are separate and distinctly different “clones.” Grapes do not reproduce from seed, but rather from cuttings. The process of reproducing grapes via cuttings is known as cloning. Over the centuries natural mutations have given rise to distinctly different characteristics within the same variety, and through research and experience certain clonal variations are more prized than others. Clone Six, a.k.a. the “Jackson” clone, was first planted in California sometime in the 1880s by Professor Eugene Hilgard of the University of California, Davis, at the UC Davis Agricultural Field Station in Cupertino, and in Jackson in the Sierra Foothills.

Somehow the vineyards were abandoned and forgotten until UC Davis Professor Austin Goheen rediscovered the old Jackson vineyard in 1965, identified varieties, and took cuttings. It is believed by some, disputed by others, that Clone Six was originally imported from the Bordeaux region of France by Paul Masson in the 1880s, prior to the outbreak of phylloxera that decimated the French wine industry in later years.

There are only three wineries in California producing a designated Clone Six Cabernet. We think ours is something special and we hope you do too!

Technical Notes:

Appellation:	Rutherford, Napa Valley
Age of Vineyard:	16 years
Harvest:	October 2, 2004
Brix at Harvest:	25.5
Fermentation:	Small, Open-top Containers, Manual Punchdown, Vertical Basket Press
Yeasts:	D254, D80
Aging:	17 months in 100% New French Oak
Production:	49 Cases