2009 AD VIVUM Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Composition: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Single-Vineyard: The fruit for 2009 Ad Vivum is exclusively Clone 191 from an eight-row micro-block in Sleeping Lady Vineyard, Yountville, Napa Valley. The block is located at the vineyard's uppermost western perimeter, against the Mayacamas Range. Row orientation is southwest-northeast. The vineyard is sustainably farmed by the Bettinelli family.
Soil: Well-drained alluvial, gravelly loam.
Harvest: 12 October 2009
2009 Vintage: Long, relatively cool seasons are favored for the slow, even ripening of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Conditions in 2009 were ideal. Late spring rain, more than an inch in May, provided enough moisture to sustain the vines well into the summer months. Vines were naturally balanced and moderate in production, requiring very little cluster thinning. Veraison was quick and even, and ripening was well-paced. The few heat spikes in July and August were followed by cooling fog, thereby extending maturation. True phenolic ripeness was well-defined, providing unusual clarity in choosing the optimum harvest date.
Winemaking: The fruit was hand-sorted in the vineyard and hand-sorted again at the winery where it was gently de-stemmed. The must was cold-soaked for five days at 50°F prior to inoculation with a selected yeast strain. After four weeks of maceration on the skins, the free run wine was aged 19 months in French oak barrels, 50% new, and bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Bottling: 12 May 2010
Production: 2,196 bottles (750ml), packed in 3-bottle wood boxes.
Release: March 2012
Tasting Notes: 2009 Ad Vivum Cabernet Sauvignon is very opaque, with a deep ruby color and purple tinge. Layered aromas include generous cassis, super-ripe raspberry and black licorice, with notes of graphite and anise. These aromas are echoed on the wine's voluptuous palate. The wine coats the mouth with ripe, silky tannins, and hints of clove and pain grillé from well-integrated French oak follow throughout the long, enticing finish. Sumptuous upon release, yet properly cellared, the wine will continue to evolve gracefully until at least 2025.
Previous vintages
2008 AD VIVUM Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
2007 AD VIVUM Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon