Minasa ‘Riven Granite Reserve’
2016 NAPA VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON
VINTAGE
2016 was the 6th vintage in a row during the drought, with a rain pattern slightly different than the prior vintage. The springtime morning temperature, especially during bloom, was higher than the previous vintage, and consequently the fruit set was abundant. The summer was warm with cool mornings. In Mid-September, we experienced a heat spike which is normal for California. Our 2016 Cabernet is a blend of two Napa Valley vineyards. Both vineyards were hand harvested: the first at the end of September and the second, in south Napa, in mid-October.
WINEMAKING
The grapes were de-stemmed, crushed, cold macerated for 18 hours and the cap was punched down throughout fermentation to extract the desired deep flavors. The ‘Riven Granite Reserve’ was then pressed into barrels for malolactic fermentation and aged for 20 months in French oak, with six barrels produced.
TASTING NOTES
Our 2016 ‘Riven Granite Reserve” comes from three different Napa Valley vineyards; a beautiful hillside vineyard, a high density planted vineyard in Napa, and an iconic vineyard in Rutherford. The wine has a dark, deep inly color with a highly aromatic bright nose featuring rich, dark fruit, black cherry cola, with a touch of vanilla and cedar. The palate is soft and dense with round, balanced, and polished tannins, with a long finish of Bing cherry. While this wine drinks beautifully now, it will continue to improve for many years to come.
