Our third release of AUSTIN Cabernet Sauvignon remains focused on our goal to produce a wine true to ‘Paso Robles’. On the nose savory aromas intertwine with rich dark fruit nuances. On the palate, flavors evolve into layers of juicy blackberry, spicy nutmeg, toasted coffee and fresh vanilla bean. This medium to full bodied wine is finished with refined tannins and a distinguishable zing of acid to balance.
Viticulture
We source from Paso Robles vineyards located mainly on the east side of the appellation. They all have one thing in common: Gravely-to-loamy soils with calcareous (ancient seabed) deposits. This helps with quality consistency and makes for a true “Paso” flavor profile. The Paso Robles AVA districts we liked most for this blend are Creston, Estrella and San Juan, which is where the bulk of the vineyards are located. The 2022 growing season was slightly warmer than average temperature throughout. While generally mild in spring with few frost events, the summer months were mild with unusually long heat events lasting five to seven days. Veraison was fairly mild and berries quickly matured. Early September saw very warm temperatures for an extended period. This rapidly increased brix and grapes were harvested about a week earlier than normal.
Vinification
Our Cabernet Sauvignon is harvested and fermented individually by vineyard lots and then barrelled into a combination of French and American oak barrels, 10% of which are new. Wines were matured in oak for an average of 17 months and racked twice during barrel-aging before an initial blend was assembled early September of 2023. Following another 3 months in 15% new French Oak, the blend was finalized and racked a final time before a gentle crossflow filtration and bottling in Late November 2023.