Cenay Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Kirsch, Blueberry Pie Filling, Anisette Cookies, Wet Slate

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"Finally, due to a distributor change I was able to reacquaint myself with our old friend Gerry Rowland, leading me to select the 2017 Cenay Cabernet Sauvignon. Some of you may remember the 2010 vintage that I selected in 2013, and probably are familiar with his daily Napa Cab, Ramspeck, which is a top seller in the Orlando store. For many years Cenay Cabernet Sauvignon was sourced exclusively from the Bluetooth Vineyard, owned by Gerry’s dentist, located just off Silverado Trail at the edge of the Oak Knoll sub-AVA. The 2017 vintage is the first bottling of Cenay that is not exclusively from this site, due to decreasing yields from the vines being effected by Pierce’s disease. For 2017 the wine is 55% Bluetooth, with 45% sourced from neighboring Stags’ Leap district.

Gerry was born and raised in Barossa, Australia, attending the prestigious Roseworthy College to earn his degree in viticulture and oenology. He then attended UC Davis, where he worked a harvest in Napa Valley for the first time. Upon graduation in 1989, he accepted a position at Chappellet. It was here that Gerry came to appreciate the incredibly quality of mountain grown fruit, and the importance of cooler conditions in Napa to slow ripening. When he stepped out on his own in 1997, he focused on what he refers to as the “Red Triangle” of Napa, working with vineyards between the points of Atlas Peak, Stags’ Leap, and Coombsville. The vineyards between these points receive the most cool coastal influence, slowing the ripening of the grapes and creating an incredible depth of flavor. I could go on and on about Gerry’s incredible knowledge of all things Napa, but will save that for the Tim’s Back Label, where hopefully he will have time to be my guest.

Unlike many American winemakers who rush to press their wine off the skins, Gerry takes a very different approach. All of the grapes are destemmed, then allowed to soak at low temperature for ten days before he warms the must and allows the fermentation to start with indigenous yeast. He ferments slower and cooler than most, lasting sixteen days in 2017, and co-ferments all of the components together. In a very unusual step, Rowland then allows the wine to stay on the skins for an additional ten days, further extracting color and flavor. This increases the tannin levels in the wine, which in a very complex way actually makes the wine smoother and less tannic in the long run." - Tim Varan