Description

WINEMAKER NOTESThe wine displays amazingly deep dark color. Aromas include dark, ripe cherries with a touch of cassis, licorice and brambly sage. The new French oak adds a bit of mocha toastiness. On the palate the wine is very powerful with firm but approachable tannins, great complexity and a long finish. VINTAGE NOTES2017 began with abundant rainfall followed by a beautiful mild Spring, resulting in extended flowering with little shatter. An extreme Labor Day Weekend heatwave kicked harvest into high gear, then cool weather allowed sugar levels to return to normal. This climate trend allowed for deep color and delicate tannins to develop. By mid-October nearly 90 percent of the vintage was in the winery when fierce winds fueled the devastating Northbay wildfires, at which time there was little concern about wine quality.VINIFICATION After gentle destemming, the fruit soaked at 45b0F for four days with two gentle pumpovers a day. On day five, each tank was inoculated and warmed to 70b0F to start fermentation. We completed three pumpovers per day during active fermentation and one gentle pumpover a day during post fermentation maceration for a total of 18 days. The wine was aged exclusively in French oak barrels for approximately 22 months. All new barrels were medium to medium-plus toast. Malolactic fermentation occurred in each barrel and racked twice during aging process to clarify the wine and eliminate lees.

Producer Description

Scattered Peaks is an elevated spin on Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon carefully curated and elegantly crafted by wine industry icon, Derek Benham and legendary Napa Valley Winemaker, Joel Aiken.Leveraging their deep passion for - and long history within - the California wine industry, Derek and Joel curate superior fruit from coveted regions throughout Napa Valley. Their plunder is then aged in carefully curated oak barrels and artfully blended to achieve the high levels of quality and experience.Scattered Peaks is a creative marriage of Derek's greatest loves: surfing, skiing and wine. A powerful triple-entendre, the term `Scattered Peaks' refers to a surfing condition when waves approaching the shore split, creating different wave peaks. Secondly, the term signifies the many snowy peaks around the world that Benham has conquered with unmatched enthusiasm. Finally, `Scattered Peaks' refers to our vineyards dotted across the world-renowned Napa Valley.