Vintage
Overall, the 2000 Napa Valley growing season was very cool and moderate, save for a few advantageous warm spells. Bud-break and fruit-set was normal. Moderately warm, sunny days from June to September kept the clusters’ development on-track through a pleasant summer. As harvest approached, Ed and his winemaking partner, Laurie Hook, decided when to pick individual blocks in each vineyard by flavor. “Because of the cool vintages that preceded 2000, we were especially attentive to what was happening in the vineyards,” explained Laurie. It made for a lot of running around, visiting each site regularly to see how the vines were doing, how the grapes were progressing, etc. And we waited for what seemed like an eternity before we finally made the call to bring each lot in.” Ed concurred: “I think our 2000 Cabs benefited greatly from our time out there. We collaborated with our vineyard team, deciding to thin crop in some areas, and these factors, combined with the added complexity from another year of age on the vines, helped us make a wine that I think is better than our 1999.”
Vineyard Components
63% Steinhauer Ranch, 22% Rancho del Oso (Howell Mountain), 3% St. Helena Home, 2% Bancroft Ranch, 10% Bancroft Ranch Cabernet Franc
Varietal Components
90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc
Winemaker
Laurie Hook, Winemaker and Ed Sbragia, Winemaster Emeritus
Retrospective Tasting Note
January, 2007
Black cherry, black currant
Cedar, sassafras, cocoa, mint, sweet oak spice
Very balanced wine
Less herbal characteristics than 99
Lighter, pretty elegant character
Accolades
91 pts- Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, June 2011