About Fogarty
Few wine regions on earth can match Santa Cruz Mountains’ climates, soils and vertigo-inspiring views. Set high in the mountains overlooking California’s Silicon Valley, the Thomas Fogarty winery has been making single-vineyard Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet from the SCM appellation since 1981. Fogarty’s two estates are divided into micro-vineyards, ranging from .25 to 5.25 acres, based on soil and topography. All are maritime (12-18 miles to Pacific), cool-climate (Regions I and II), high-elevation (1600-2300 feet), low yielding (1-3 tons per acre) and mountainous. The winery was founded by Dr. Thomas Fogarty, a Stanford cardiovascular surgeon and world-renowned inventor.

Vintage
2004 was a unique growing season in much of California. Some of the warmest weather we have ever experienced in September rapidly accelerated ripening in most, if not all, of our vineyards. The resulting wines are laden with concentrated, ripe fruit flavors. Yields were below average, resulting in both high acidity and plenty of sugar at harvest.

Vineyards
We have been fortunate to purchase fruit from the Vallerga family for more than fifteen years. Located at the base of Mt. Veeder in the Yountville AVA, the vineyard stretches from the alluvial benchlands up to the foothills. The sparse gravelly soils and moderate climate produce wines marked by dark fruit flavors.

Winemaking
We hand harvest in the early morning to ensure cool grapes that are then trucked down to Thomas Fogarty Winery. Following a four-day cold soak, the wine was fermented in tank with 2-3 pump-overs a day. We left the young wine on skins for 14 days and pressed the wine to a combination of new and used French, American, and Russian oak barrels for 22 months. Racking occurred 3-4 times per year to expedite tannin maturation.

Tasting Notes
The 2004 Vallerga Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is absolutely bursting with ripe fruit, blackberry, graphite, creosote and cassis. It is full bodied with waves of black and red fruit backed by abundant, yet well-rounded tannins. This may be our finest effort from Napa to date! It has so much forward fruit that it begs to drunk in its exuberant youth. Yet it is so dense, powerful and concentrated that it will surely evolve and become more complex with an additional 10 years of cellar aging.

TECHNICAL DATA:

Appellation
Vallerga Vineyard, Napa Valley

WINEMAKER
Michael Martella

COMPOSITION: 100% Vallerga Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Finished alcohol: 15.4% ABV
Acid: TA 0.65g/ 100ml
pH: 3.58
Oak treatment: French and American, 22 Months, 12% New Oak
Total production: 930 cases
Release date: May 1, 2008
California suggested retail: $50.00