2019 Klein Cabernet Sauvignon

Deep ruby red with aromas of red plum, blackberry, mint, and toasty oak. Dark briary fruit and black olive on the palate with rich, supple tannins and a long, smooth finish. JO (7/21)

Each year, we blind taste the many parcels that make up the Monte Bello vineyard to determine which are most characteristic of the site. Occasionally we find an individual wine of excellent quality that is more complex on its own than when included in the blend. In 2019, we kept the Gate Block from the Klein vineyard separate to make this wine. Structured and restrained in style, it will be most enjoyable over the next twelve years. JO (7/21)

Pierre Klein, an Alsatian, purchased his Mira Valle property on Monte Bello Ridge in 1888. He planted cabernet sauvignon – possibly other Bordeaux varietals as well – and aspired to produce wines as great as those of the Médoc. During this early period of California’s wine industry, little cabernet sauvignon was grown. Klein’s was one of the exceptions, and won a gold medal at the 1900 World Exhibition in Paris. Unfortunately, Prohibition led to the demise of Mira Valle and the abandonment of the vineyard. The Schwabacher family of San Francisco bought Klein’s land in 1936, renaming it “Jimsomare.” At our suggestion and with our support, cabernet was replanted in the early seventies; Ridge produced a small quantity of Jimsomare Cabernet from 1978 until 1997. When Ridge took over the vineyard in 1996, it became part of the Monte Bello estate vineyard. This year, we selected a limited number of barrels for a separate bottling. This excellent cabernet sauvignon will develop its full complexity over the next ten to fifteen years.

Rainfall: 50.4 inches (above normal)
Bloom: Mid June
Weather: Lots of rain soaked California throughout the winter. Spring rains continued until mid-May. Warm summer weather allowed the large crop to ripen evenly, resulting in an abundant, excellent harvest.

Harvest Dates: 27 September – 4 October
Grapes: Average Brix 24.4˚
TA: 7.43 g/L
pH: 3.53
Fermentation: Destemmed and whole berry fermentation. Pressed at eight days. Fermented on the native yeasts. Natural malolactic initiated in tank, finished in barrel six weeks later. Remained on gross lees for fifteen weeks.
Barrels: 100% new air-dried American oak barrels.
Aging: Twenty months in barrel

Estate-grown Monte Bello vineyard grapes, hand harvested; destemmed and sorted; fermented on the native yeasts, followed by full malolactic on the naturally-occurring bacteria; minimum effective sulfur for this wine (35 ppm at crush, 129 ppm over the course of aging); oak from barrel aging; pad filtered at bottling. In keeping with our philosophy of minimal intervention, this is the sum of our actions.

Average Rating: 92.4

No. of Tasting Notes: 7

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