Inspiration
This wine is a collaboration
between two friends, myself and pioneer grape grower, Louie Lucas. Louie and I
have known each other for over 40 years, and have developed a mutual respect
for our work and history in the Santa Barbara County wine industry. Louie feels
the Clone 6 of Cabernet Sauvignon is the best clone at his Valley View Vineyard
and offered to sell me one ton of this precious fruit in 2020. I was honored to
be offered the fruit and accepted the challenge to make the best wine possible
from it. We are pleased to offer this rare and extremely limited bottling of
Cabernet Sauvignon under the Longoria label.
The Harvest
The 2020 growing season experienced
moderate temperatures, and with the exception of a few days of hot temperatures
in late August, this trend continued for the duration of the harvest. The
Cabernet Sauvignon at Valley View Vineyard was harvested on October 8th
with an average sugar content of 25.5 Brix.
Winemaking
The grapes were 100% destemmed and
crushed into a small open-top fermenter. After three days of cold soaking on
the skins the must was inoculated with a special yeast strain. After 22 days of
fermentation the wine was pressed off to a tank for settling, then racked to
French oak barrels for aging. Only 8% of the wine aged in new French oak. After
22 months of aging the wine was bottled in August 2021.
The Wine
The wine has a dark garnet color.
The nose is classic Cabernet Sauvignon with fruity and complex aromas of
cherries, coco, and hints of brown spices in the background. On the palate the
wine is medium-bodied with flavors of black cherries, currants and dark
chocolate. The tannins are relatively smooth yet indicate the wine will benefit
from four to six more years of cellaring.
Food Pairings
This flavorful and elegant wine
will pair well with a variety of food including lamb, Steak au Poivre and
mushroom risotto. I recommend decanting the wine 30 minutes before serving.
