2018 Cavern Select Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Our Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon has aromas of ripe blackberries, black currants and graphite. On the palate, savory herbs, sandalwood, and dried blueberries marry integrated velvety tannins.

 

This wine comes from a vineyard site at 1400 ft elevation in Willow Creek District. The site has Calcareous soils from the Santa Lucia-Lopez complex. This site sees 24-30” average rainfall with a 20 degree average diurnal shift. The vineyard is Clone 337 Cabernet Sauvignon on 110R rootstock. We harvested our Cabernet on 9/29/18 and aged the wine for 30 months in French Oak. After bottling we hand apply the medallions and wax dip bottle. The wine then bottle-ages for 12 months.

 

The 2018 vintage began with a wet cool, wet spring. The cool weather delayed bud break and extended flowering leading to shatter in some exposed areas. In Mid-April some areas frosted, further delaying set and the 2018 season. A 40-day heat wave in July and August created challenges in most areas. By late August, the weather became more seasonal with temperatures remaining mild throughout harvest. On average, harvest was 2 weeks later than recent vintages at Robert Hall. The initial cool temperatures and heat wave lead vines to produce smaller clusters and berries, creating dark, phenolically dense wines. The 2018 vintage is shaping up to be a great vintage in Paso Robles with excellent maturity and aging potential.