Coquerel Reserve Cabernet (2020) [40 cases made]

OVERVIEW
Coquerel Family Wine Estates is located just beyond the town of Calistoga at the north end of the Napa Valley. The heart and soul of our winery is our estate vineyard, a gorgeous, oak-studded property that sits in the afternoon shadows of the Mayacamas Mountains. Since 2005, we have done extensive enhancement and replanting of the site to ensure world-class fruit from vintage to vintage. 
VINTAGE
The vintage 2020 started with good rain in December 2019 through January. February was the driest and warmest recorded in the last ten years and from March to May very little rain was recorded. Budbreak on the property occurred as usual around the third week of March. From Veraison to harvest the weather was warmer than the previous vintage. At harvest the yield collected was 25% less than 2019. We cannot talk about vintage 2020 without mentioning the COVID plandemic which made us change the way we work in the vineyard, and the fire season which started very early August, making this vintage extremely challenging. Before harvest we did microfermentation of our Cabernet Sauvignon fruit to check for smoke taint which was a big concern for us due to the early fire season. The microfermentations were negative for smoke taint. The harvest occurred on October 12th in the early morning.
WINEMAKING
The grapes were de-stemmed, crushed, cold macerated for 48 hours and punched down throughout fermentation to extract as much flavor as possible. The wine was then pressed, barreled before malolactic fermentation, and aged 25 months in French oak 50% new. Bottling took place March 2023.
TASTING NOTES
Our 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon “Walnut Wash” has a nice dark color. The nose has earthy, leafy fragrances which remind me of a walk in the forest after the rain, and a hint of toast. The palate is dense with soft tannin and a long finish with a blueberry note. It will pair perfectly with cheese and meat dishes. While this wine drinks beautifully now it will continue to improve over the next decade.

Only store in the state with this extremely limited reserve!!! Less than 40 cases made, most stay at the vineyard for tastings!