Wines - 2023 Poetry Cabernet Sauvignon – Stags Leap District

The Poetry Vineyard, carved into a steep west-facing hillside, reaches from the highest elevations of the Stags Leap District appellation to the valley floor. This vineyard draws its uniqueness from shallow, volcanic soils atop fractured shale. Due to the stressful nature of the site, planted with high vine density and farmed to exceptionally low yields, the vines develop slowly and produce small flavorful berries. The vineyard is planted to legendary, proprietary heritage selections of Cabernet Sauvignon.

In the cool darkness of night, grapes were hand-picked into twenty-five-pound bins to minimize crushing. By early morning, the grapes were subjected to rigorous selection by our three-tiered sorting process, which includes our cutting-edge optical sorter and a slow, individual berry hand sort. Whole berries were gently delivered by gravity to tank by our unique crane system, which kept the berries intact. Cold soaks lasted from five to eight days, and fermentations were managed through a combination of pump overs and délestage. Extended maceration of up to four weeks ensured exceptional extraction and fine-tuning of tannin profiles. Following twenty-one months of élevage in French oak barrels, 83% of which were new, the blend was selected from our best lots of the Poetry Vineyard.

“This 2023 Poetry is wound tightly at this youthful stage, revealing immense concentration and a dense core of blackberries, cassis, and tart raspberries. Savory layers of tobacco, roasted peppers, and herbs provide heady complexity that grounds the vibrant fruit. The mouthfeel is defined by mineral tension and a distinctive powdery tannin structure that builds through the mid-palate, carrying into a finish of exceptional length and grip. While muscular now, its balance ensures a long, graceful evolution in the cellar.” –Christopher Tynan, Director of Winemaking