2006 Zinfandel & Charbono

Napa Valley

Tofanelli Cellars

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Past Wines


  • Featured Wine

  • Tasting Notes

  • Technical Data

Sol Rouge Vineyard 2005 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Only 50 Cases Produced

 

 

This featured wine is no longer available for purchase on Indie Winemakers. Join our Mailing List (see at left) to be notified when a new featured wine is offered.

 

About the Vineyard

Sol Rouge is focused on producing wines similar to that of the Rhone and Bordeaux regions of France. We currently partner with vineyards in California who produce these varietals with the distinct soil profiles similar to our terroir and those of France. Our "non-intervention" philosophy helps to bring the true flavor and characteristics of each vineyard through to our wines.

Our featured wine comes from the highly acclaimed To Kalon and Dr. Crane vineyard's in Napa Valley. To Kalon is the site that started the California cult cab mania. It has produced many legendary wines, including 100 point scores from Robert Parker. The fruit is sourced from several blocks of clones 4, 6 and 337 that were planted in the mid 90's. Consisting mostly of clay loam, it drains well and doesn't retain nutrients. The effect is natural devigoration that results in smaller, more concentrated clusters of fruit. Wines produced from this site have a phenomenal combination of power and silkiness. Dr. Crane's well-drained gravelly loam soils help create wines with a tremendous concentration of cassis, graphite and other characteristics reminiscent of a great grape.

Summary of Tasting Event

This wine was tasted on January 6, 2008 by a panel of 4 tasters in a blind tasting format and paired with Spaghetti with Meatballs.

The opening impressions show ripe, sweet fruit that rolls around in your mouth and coats it with a velvety smooth texture. The net result is refined, with soft to medium tannins and more gradation than most wines of this style. It is impeccably balanced but due to a short decanting period, initially showed modest depth and intensity. After allowing more air on the wine, the wine showed much more depth and intensity, with cassis and a touch of acidity on the finish. If you can't cellar this wine, we recommend decanting before tasting during the first year of this release. This wine should mature nicely for 2-5 years.

Wine Profile Style
Light Bodied Medium Bodied Full Bodied
Drink Now (0-3 yrs) Will Age (3-5 yrs) Will Age (8-10 yrs)
Slightly Fruity Fruity Very Fruity
No Tannins Softer Tannins Heavier Tannins
Low Acidity Medium Acidity High Acidity
No Residual Sugar Dry Off Dry Sweet

Sol Rouge Vineyard 2005 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Only 50 Cases Produced

 

 

This featured wine is no longer available for purchase on Indie Winemakers. Join our Mailing List (see at left) to be notified when a new featured wine is offered.

 

Indie Winemakers' Tasting Notes

Our mission is to provide unbiased opinions of the wine being offered. These notes come from up to 10 guests who tasted this wine in a blind tasting format (wine is concealed so their identity is unknown). Why this format? Tasting blind completely throws out any hype associated with a certain winery, style, price point, etc; it forces the taster to accept what is in the glass without any predetermined notions. Our guests utilize Robert Parker's Glossary of Wine Terms for their comments for consistency purposes. In addition, we utilize the wine aroma wheel to enhance one’s ability to describe the complexity of wine flavor. Notes are posted on this wine during the tasting to ensure they accurately reflect the impressions.

Tasting Notes

  • BH: Very smooth, coats your mouth. Dark color and chocolate nose.
  • RLA: Chocolate and casis nose and taste. Full-body but very very smooth.
  • JH: Very nice, smooth wine. Medium bodied with a very long finish.
  • MA: Very smooth and rich without being heavy. Noted chocolate and cinnamon on the nose and taste. The finish brought out some ripe berrys.

Sol Rouge Vineyard 2005 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Only 50 Cases Produced

 

 

This featured wine is no longer available for purchase on Indie Winemakers. Join our Mailing List (see at left) to be notified when a new featured wine is offered.

 

 

Wine Technical Data
Blend 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Appelation 40% To Kolan Vineyard, 60% Dr. Crane Vineyard, Napa Valley
Harvest Dates October 25-26, 2005
Sugar at Harvest 26.5 & 26.7 degrees Brix
Fermentation 33 days with 1-8 punchdowns/day
Aging / Cooperage 24 months in French oak, 50% new
Alcohol 14.6% by volume
Acidity PH= 3.70, TA = 0.66

 

Winemaker's Tasting Notes

Our 2005 Sol Rouge Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits classic aromas of cassis, licorice, and chocolate with a slight hint of vanilla toast from the French oak. This wine is rich and full-bodied, with sweet tannins, a multi-layered mid-palate and a finish that possesses accessibility and opulence. This balanced wine exhibits good concentration without being over extracted – retaining characteristics that are true to its terroir.