Having worked here for almost 10 years, Stacey Lawrence is well acquainted with all of our wines.  When she feels like indulging, the Captain’s Reserve Cabernet is her go-to.  “I love Cab, and the Captain's Reserve Cab is perfect for opening when I feel like spoiling myself a little, but don't want to open a bottle of CASK or Rubicon.”

Captain's Reserve wines are produced in extremely limited quantities each year, exclusively for wine club members and guests of the estate. They are named in honor of Captain Gustave Niebaum, the visionary who, in the 1880's, founded Inglenook and brought Napa Valley worldwide recognition. Made from grapes grown in the finest Napa Valley vineyards including Rubicon Estate these wines are created to illustrate the intensity and depth of flavors that have made this region famous.

About the Wine
Because most of our estate wines are designed to mature and develop complexity with cellaring, it was our goal to craft a wine that would not need aging and be immediately accessible upon release. To that end, the Captain's Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon undergoes different winemaking techniques so that it has round, supple tannins and expressive flavors up front, making it easy to drink when young and compatible with most foods.

Vintage
2007 is considered an exceptional Napa Valley vintage. Despite abundant rain during the winter and early spring season, budbreak occurred just slightly later than normal with no vine damage at all thanks to the agricultural practice of using cover crops. Fruit set occurred under optimum conditions and continued to mature amidst very good summer weather that saw several heat spikes followed by more moderate temperatures; this helped the fruit retain good amounts of natural acidity. In fact, even as September drew to an end, temperatures remained mild well into October, which allowed us to delay picking even longer. Because nature never forced our hand, the grapes had several extra weeks to mature. The resulting fruit showed perfect, uniform ripeness without the high sugar levels that happen in really hot years. Furthermore, these wines immediately showed texture and density, profuse aromatics, and very complex flavors that are now even more compelling. 

Winemaking Notes
Prior to fermentation, the grapes underwent a 48-hour cold soak to maximize color extraction and enhance the aromatic compounds of the must. With the onset of fermentation, the must is gently warmed upward of 80 degrees as the cap begins to rise. Once the fermentation is in full swing, temperatures rise well into the 90's. During this period, we look to maximize the extraction of color, tannin and flavor from the skins. It is not uncommon for us to pump-over the must four times a day and/or utilize traditional punchdown techniques. These methods are vigorous and intended to capture as much body and depth as possible in a two-week period.

Tasting Notes
Our 2007 Captain's Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits a deep purple hue and a beautiful nose of crushed wild berries, tilled earth, cherries, and spice. There are vibrant flavors of sweet cherries (typical of Rutherford) and warm spice.  Tannins are ripe, dissolving with time as they lengthen the wine's finish.  This Cabernet is made to enjoy early for its power and reward those that prefer to cellar great vintages.
 
Appellation: Rutherford, Napa Valley; 100% estate-grown
Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Alcohol: 14.5%
Barrel regimen: 20 months French oak