2016 Fifty Tons Cabernet Sauvignon 1.5L

The wine’s name, Fifty Tons, is derived from an early experience when Founder Chris James, his father, and Winemaker Ames Morison moved 50 tons of rock by hand to restore natural terraces for the vine rows. We always think of this wine as our well-structured, muscular Cabernet Sauvignon, in part, due to this experience. The blocks that were harvested to create this wine are on steep hillsides making them difficult to farm, but incredibly intense in flavor, a lean, gravelly nature we love, and completely worth the extra effort.

The 2016 Fifty Tons provides powerful blackberry and black currant aromas with a hint of raspberry (thanks to the tiniest addition of Cabernet Franc). The upfront fruit aromas are backed up by notes of vanilla and the warm perfume of oak. On the palate, this wine offers bright acidity, concentrated dark fruit, and velvety smooth tannins. The finish is long with a hint of minerality at the end. This wine is the perfect gift for a new Dad…or anyone who loves a rich and complex Cabernet Sauvignon. Enjoy now or age for five to eight years.  

Vintage

The 2016 vintage began with a warm spring and some late rains that gave us an early budbreak and enough water to provide good early season vine growth despite being in the tail end of a severe drought. June and July were warmer than usual, but when we approached the key ripening months of August and September, the weather cooled significantly, allowing a slow approach to maturity. These conditions favor good fruit development without excessively high alcohol. Exactly the kind of wine we love to make.