Forefathers 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, California, United States

Philosophy

The name "Forefathers" is used to represent the unique qualities of the various varieties selected. These varieties are Cabernet Sauvignon represented by Alexander Valley in California, Sauvignon Blanc represented by Marlborough in New Zealand, and Shiraz represented by McLaren Vale in Australia.

Each one of these wines comes from the premium appellation in the country for the variety. Each wine is crafted from a single vineyard within that appellation.

The second in this series to be released is the Cabernet Sauvignon, to partner the already released Sauvignon Blanc, and the Shiraz to be released in August, 2002.

Winemaking

With Forefathers we are looking for structure, intensity and complexity. Only ripe grapes with excellent maturity, and well-developed flavors were selected. Ripeness, for us, means very round supple tannins, which result in an elegant entry and powerful, rich finish. The fruit was hand harvested in the morning hours to avoid the heat of the day and macerated for three weeks. At pressing, only the first juice from the tank was used for barrel aging. Barrel aging was conducted for sixteen months during which time the wine was gravity racked three times. After blending, the wine remained unfined and unfiltered, and then aged a further year before release.

Characteristics

The long and slightly later season allowed for slow sugar accumulation, this enabled flavor and tannins to reach full development before harvest. The result is an elegant wine showing soft berry fruit in the front of the palate. It has a middle palate with flesh, weight and richness, resulting in power. The tannins are balanced, supple and ripe, leading to a complex wine with many layers; velvety, silky, and seamless from front to back of the mouth.

Appellation:	Alexander Valley, California
Varietal Composition:	100% cabernet sauvignon
Total Acidity:	6.1 g/liter
pH:	3.74
Alcohol:	13.5% by volume
Residual Sugar:	Dry

Winemaker Comments

"The key to Forefathers is flexibility in processing, using the best possible winemaking to represent the site, leading to "site specific" processes. For instance, in 1999, with ripe tannins, stronger extraction was used on skins and there was more time in barrel. On the palate the wine is elegant, powerful, rich and seamless. The long rich mouth makes the wine drink beautifully now, and will improve over the next 10 years."

Food Paring Notes

Perfect match for pasta with red sauces, full flavored meats, and robust cheeses.

Goldschmidt Vineyard | Forefathers

Goldschmidt Vineyards | P.O. Box 1639, Healdsburg, CA 95448 USA | T: 707.433.2061 | F: 707.433.3426
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