2004 Ferrari-Carano's PreVail Back Forty - Alexander Valley [ $85 ]
Affectionately called Back Forty, the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes for this wine are grown on low-yielding vines on a 40 acre block at the back side of Ferrari-Carano’s RockRise Mountain in Alexander Valley. The vineyard sits at 1100-foot elevation on a plateau that traps the night air, naturally cooling the grapes and extending their hang time. Expressive dark berry, crème de cassis and vanilla aromas marry perfectly with opulent fruit and sweet, caramelized oak flavors, creating a rich and dense mid-palate followed by a finish of superb length.
Vintage Notes
Our mountain vines are dry farmed in shallow, rocky soil that adds impressive depth and concentration of flavor intensity to the wine. The 2004 growing season was a long, cool even ripening vintage, starting with an early, mild spring followed by a memorable Labor Day weekend fire in the eastern hills of Alexander Valley that covered the vineyards with smoke and ash. This heat event gave way to a mild October, with the last of the grapes
harvested by the middle of the month.
Winemakers Notes
The grapes for Back Forty are hand-harvested, and upon entering the winery, hand-sorted and then gravity fed directly into oak tanks for five days of cold soaking. Wine was moved to barrels for malolactic fermentation and barrel aged in the wine caves for 22 months, with an additional 14 months aging in bottle prior to release.
| Appellation: |
Alexander Valley |
| Blend: |
100% Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Cooperage: |
90% new French and 10% older French oak barrels |
| Release Day: |
November 2007 |
