Tasting Notes:  This full-bodied wine has a seamless structure, and boasts a delicate balance from beginning to end. Bold and expressive, with fat, full tannins that are at once refined, silky, and subtle. Blended from the rockiest, most well-drained parcels of the estate vineyard, this 1886 is a classic, age-worthy Ehlers Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. Filling out the layers of earthy complexity and spice are flavors of violets, chocolate cherries, cinnamon, and cocoa. A beautiful expression of our esteemed terroir.

Vintage Notes: The extraordinary 2009 growing season brought us yet another drought year, which is generally ideal for winegrapes, yet not so great for everything else. We had a beautiful, long warm sunny summer with an endless string of hot days and cool nights. The red wines emerged from the fermentation tanks with brilliant color, fantastic extraction, and ripe, mature, supple tannins.  The Ehlers crew brought all of our fruit in before the onslaught of early October rains which caught many Napa Valley vintners by surprise.

Varietal: 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc, 4% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot
Harvest Date: September 21 – October 15, 2009
Aging: 100% French Oak, 70% New French Oak: Nadalie, St. Martin, Baron, De Jarnac
Wine Analysis: 14.5% alcohol ● 3.78 pH
Appellation: St Helena, Napa Valley
Bottling Date:  August 26, 2011
Production: 1557 cases
 
 

Awards and Accolades: 91 points Wine Spectator