Goldschmidt Vineyards - Cabernet Sauvignon - Yoeman 2010

Tasting notes

Deep garnet; aromas of dark plum, black cherry, cassis, nutmeg, vanilla and dark chocolate. Shows concentrated flavors of black cherry, blackberry, plum, cassis, spice, tobacco, and chocolate. Rich and full-bodied, nice wood framing, sumptuous texture, supple tannin finish. My favorite vineyard from an exceptional vintage.

Technical data

Appellation: Alexander Valley
Vineyard: Yoeman
Varietal: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Clones: Jackson, Jenkins
Avg. Vine Age: 35 Years
Harvest Date: Oct 21, 2012
Harvest: Hand-Picked
Yield: 3.2 tons per acre
TA: 6.1 g/Liter
pH: 3.67
Alcohol: 14.3%
Filtering: Un-fined & Unfiltered
Aging: 32 Months, Taransaud Allier
Tight Grain, 85% New
Cellaring Potential: 15 Years

Vintage notes

This was the vintage that everybody thought was the Goldilocks year. 2012 was not too hot, not too cold, and just right with sun and fog. Near-ideal bud break, steady flowering, and a very even fruit set. A lengthy stretch of warm days and cool and often foggy nights during the long summer months. Grapes achieved optimal ripeness with fantastic quality. Skins were pretty thick so I'm guessing it will be a high-structure year. About 95 percent of the grapes were already picked when more than an inch of rain finally hit in late October. Alexander Valley and Napa Valley were exceptional and the wines should result in them being in the top 5 vintages over the last 20 years for both valleys. Comparison with 2001, 2002 and 2007 will be easy to do.

Yoeman Vineyard

Goldschmidt Yoeman Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon comes from a small mountain vineyard just south of the town of Geyserville. This terraced vineyard slopes to the southeast and is comprised of well-draining, glacial loam. Soft morning sun promotes slower grape maturation and longer "hang times" in this secluded micro-climate. Planted in 1988, it is made up of two very old field selections which allow for more diversity in the clusters. Upon achieving full ripeness, they vary in size, acidity, and flavor profile. One shows more red fruit and the other more black fruit characteristics Such plant diversity grants more complexity within the site. Yoeman is a low input vineyard with very low yields and is typically picked 2-3 weeks later than our Oakville vineyards. Rarely do vineyard conditions afford a winemaker the opportunity to make a wine such as this. With its multi-layering and pronounced “grip,” Nick Goldschmidt pushes the stylistic boundary of Alexander Valley Cabernet.

USA California Sonoma County Alexander Valley