2005 Finlay's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
Dry Creek Valley.
Aromas of blueberry, cassis and plum. Should age well.

2005 Finlay's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Finlay's Vineyard
Dry Creek Valley

Our 2005 Finlay’s Vineyard Cabernet is produced from grapes grown in red soils (terrior*) on the Eastern slopes of Bradford Mountain overlooking Dry Creek Valley and shows the characteristics of a “serious Cab.” Finlay is the Rhodesian Ridgeback who guards the vineyard. The vines are over 30 years old and the grapes produce wine with intense aromas and tastes of blueberry, boysenberry, cassis and plum with spicy, cedar and clove overtones. The wine is 95% Cabernet, 5% Merlot with a field blend of Cabernet Franc, and has been aged for 18 months in French oak barrels. The concentration and ample tannic structure should allow for 8-to-10 years of bottle aging. Red meat dishes are the pairing of choice for the 2003 Cabernet. Try it with steak, prime rib or a barbecued tri-tip.

*Terroir is defined here by soil, slope, drainage, sun exposure and climate characteristics of a growing area. These characteristics can provide a grape variety with a unique personality. A wine made with such grapes is said to have a “gout de terroir” or “the taste of where it comes from."

Harvested October 2005
Released January 2008
3.5 tons/acre
pH 3.45 at bottling
Aged 18 months in French oak barrels
517 cases produced

2005 Vintage

Gold Medal—Sonoma County Harvest Fair, September 2009
Gold Medal—Tasters Guild International, May 2008
Silver Medal—San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, January 2008
Silver Medal—Grand Harvest Awards, February 2008

2004 Vintage

Gold Medal—Pacific Rim International Wine Competition, April 2007
Gold Medal—Tasters Guild International, May 2007
Silver Medal—New World International Wine Competition, April 2007
Silver Medal—San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, January 2007
Silver Medal—Grand Harvest Awards, February 2007

2003 Vintage

Gold Medal—San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, January 2006
Gold Medal—Gold Medal, Pacific Rim International Wine Competition
Silver Medal—Tasters Guild, May 2006

2002 Vintage

Gold Medal—Grand Harvest Awards, March 2005
Gold Medal—San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, February 2005
Silver Medal—Tasters Guild, May 2005

2001 Vintage

Silver Medal—Orange County Fair, June 2004
Silver Medal—Riverside International Wine Competition, April 2004
Silver Medal—San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, January 2004

2000 Vintage

Gold Medal—Tasters Guild International, May 2003