TASTING NOTES:
A throw back wine for California Cabernet and reminscent of our 2014, the 2018 Astral is blue in its fruit, classic in its Star Lane sage and chapparal, wants time to develop, and is built upon a structure of tension and depth akin to mid-1990s Napa Cabernet Sauvignons. This wine should develop beautifully.

WINEMAKER NOTES:
While we would have loved a bit more fruit - yields were very small - 2018 was a vintage we needed. It provided a reprieve from the variables of heat spells and drought. Steady and mild temperatures throughout the ripening period kept development even and allowed each vineyard block’s unique qualities to emerge. What became quite apparent during initial fermentation was the level of tension and supple qualities 2018 brought to Cabernet Sauvignon. Fruit profiles seemed darker, and as we normally see with own-rooted blocks that make up Astral, richness arrived even in a year of tension. Nearly all Cabernet Sauvignon (98%), a kiss of Petit Verdot (1%) and Malbec (1%) were added to bring everything into balance.

VINTAGE NOTES:
While we would have loved a bit more fruit - yields were very small - 2018 was a vintage we needed. It provided a reprieve from the variables of heat spells and drought. Steady and mild temperatures throughout the ripening period kept development even and allowed each vineyard block’s unique qualities to emerge. What became quite apparent during initial fermentation was the level of tension and supple qualities 2018 brought to Cabernet Sauvignon. Fruit profiles seemed darker, and as we normally see with own-rooted blocks that make up Astral, richness arrived even in a year of tension. Nearly all Cabernet Sauvignon (98%), a kiss of Petit Verdot (1%) and Malbec (1%) were added to bring everything into balance.