Free Mark Abbey Cab Wine

Dark ruby in color, the flavors such as blackberry, boysenberry and Bing cherry dominate with nuances of milk chocolate, chocolate berry truffle dusted with cocoa powder, aromatic cedar and Herbs de Provence. The sweet oak spice is very well integrated, adding to the overall complexity. The body is very full, with a soft entry, coupled with dark cherry flavors that develop from start to finish. With great texture, integrated tannins, and pleasant mouth feel, this cabernet is full bodied, rich and opulent. In one word.... delicious.

Vineyard Notes

Primary Vineyards:
Oakville Reach-Oakville: Located at the southern end of the Oakville AVA, east side of Hwy 29 and just north of Yountville, the vineyard soil is gravelly alluvial loam, similar to the To Kalon vineyard on the west side of the Hwy. The climate is moderately warm in the afternoons, and strongly affected by the night and early morning fog, which helps to keep acidity levels in balance.

Keyes—Howell Mountain: Located near the town of Angwin, at roughly 1,850 ft elevation, this Howell Mtn vineyard sits adjacent to the Las Posadas State Forest. The mountainous soil is predominantly volcanic, shallow with low fertility, and producing merlot that expresses dark fruits like blackberry and dark currant.

Stagecoach Vineyard—Atlas Peak: This vineyard is located north east of Napa, a new region that is yielding fantastic fruit. The terrain is foothill chaparral that is very rocky, dry, weak soils, causing the vines to struggle, imparting an intense concentration of flavors. The Merlot, and Cabernet grapes ripen very evenly, yielding great dark cherry and black fruit depth.

Bosche Vineyard—Rutherford: Located west of Hwy. 29, on the famed Rutherford Bench, the Bosche vineyard has very deep gravelly soils. A seasonal creek crosses the vineyard which causes the water table to be high in the spring, providing water and nutrients for new shoot growth. As veraison approaches the water table drops, stressing the wines and intensifying the dark velvety fruit flavors.

Sycamore Vineyard—Rutherford: Located about 1.2 miles south of Bosche, right up against the Mayacamas Range, this vineyard has a rich clay loam. Sycamore Vineyard produces small berries reminiscent of mountain fruit berries, with intense extract of color and flavor of black currant and black berry with a forest floor complexity.