The Paint of Moonlight

Winemaker’s Tasting Notes

The 2017 Pelkan Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon opens with opulent blackberry and green briar on the nose. Following with an alluring melange of wet graphite, bay leaf, ripe red plum, and high-toned white pepper essence.

Further on the palate, you will find chewy tannins that build to a crescendo of wet rock and black cherry on the finish. The oak is seamlessly integrated, simply lifting and focusing the fruit.

Always the most forward and approachable of our Cabernets, this wine is ready to pop and pour now or will delight those with patience for decades to come.

Drink now - 2038

Winegrowing Approach

Pelkan Ranch is located on the summit of the Mayacamas mountains that line the western edge of Knights Valley in Sonoma County, just northwest of Calistoga.  The 2017 vintage was warmer than previous coaxing out riper flavors and supple tannins. This great vintage in Knights Valley brought wines of full flavors, richness and smooth tannins.

Picked on a cool morning on September 29th, we diligently sorted the individual grapes, then, destemmed and gently crushed the grapes prior to entry into stainless steel tanks where fermentation began with native yeast. We added commercial yeast to add strength to the fermentation. We performed either punch downs, pump-overs or rack-and-returns, and after fermentation was completed we allowed the maceration to continue until we achieved the right balance in structure. After which, we gently pressed the wine to tank and allowed the heavy solids to settle before transferring the wine to new oak barrels to age for 22 months. The oak staves used to make our cabernet barrels are from the best forests in France and aged extra-long so that they are not too aggressive on the wine. We racked the wine off its sediment only once before it was bottled.

Technical Information

• Elevation: 1100 feet above sea level

• Soil: Volcanic, very iron-rich soils with ferric sedimentary rocks, basalt, andesite

• Slope and Aspect: North-east facing, slope 20%

• Farming: Sustainable, custom farming to winemaker’s specifications to ensure highest quality and uniformity

• Fermentation: 100% destemmed, 7-day cold soak, 14-day fermentation, 10-day post fermentation maceration

• Aging: 100% new French oak for 22 months, racked twice

• Production: 59 dozen bottled August 6th, 2019, neither fined nor filtered

• Alcohol: 14.8%