Wine

Item Description

Obsidian Ridge 2016 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, 1.5L

TASTING NOTES
True Cabernet Sauvignon character stands out, opening in an aromatic riot of blackberry jam, a touch of herb, spice, and coffee. The wine is full-bodied, expanding mid-palate with a dense core of black fruit, black cherries, and cacao beans; the finish lingers with a perfume of dried raspberries and rose water. The distinctive tannic structure of mountain-grown Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot hints at the aging potential of this wine.

VINEYARD
Obsidian—glassy black rock of volcanic origin—covers the hillsides of Obsidian Ridge Vineyard. The steep, sloping terroir of this land, with its incomparable red gravely soil shot through with obsidian, is all that a winemaker could hope for. Half a mile above sea level, the harsh mountain climate shows our fruit no mercy, and this builds character. Pacific winds, blinding mountain sunlight, and cold, rocky conditions produce grapes with exceptionally thick skins, dark color, and intense flavor.

VINTAGE
The grip of California’s four-year drought began to loosen in 2016 with a wet spring. Late season rains graced the beginning of the springtime growing season, replenishing the soil and giving the awakening vines critical nourishment. With less dehydration stress, the vines had a healthy canopy and well-balanced fruit load, with fuller grape clusters and slightly larger berries. Vine health and vigor in 2016 made for a smooth growing season and harvest, resulting in more voluptuous wines, approachable in their youth but rewarding patience.

WINEMAKING
A blend of eight blocks from Obsidian Ridge Vineyard, the lush flavor and sweetness of this wine comes from fruit harvested on the steepest slopes of our vineyard, rising from 2,300 to 2,640 feet above sea level. Th­e spicy aroma and structure is derived from fruit picked later in the season in the lower blocks of the vineyard. Young wines are aged exclusively in Tokaj oak by Kádár Hungary, the cooperage we have owned for nearly three decades. Located in Kádárok Volgye (Valley of the Coopers), this region of the Tokaj appellation has a written history of over 1,000 years of coopering.

Name of Winery: Obsidian Ridge

Bottle Size: 1.5L

Number of Bottles: One

Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon

Appellation: Red Hills Lake County

Obsidian Ridge: The New Frontier for Cabernet Sauvignon. Forged in a volcano; some said this land could not be planted. We had faith in the endless potential of an old abandoned walnut orchard, 2,640 feet above sea level, high in the Mayacamas Range. We have sought higher, rockier, and farther places to grow grapes, source oak, and build wines that are complex, nuanced, and delicious. A new expression of California Cabernet Sauvignon. Made by inspiration, not recipe. If you seek new frontiers in wine, join our journey.

In our vineyard, we follow the Code of Sustainable Winegrowing Practices and are Fish Friendly Farming certified. The Tokaj forests where our barrels are coopered have been sustainably managed since 1769 by decree of the Empress Maria Teresa of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, requiring selective logging and systematic replanting. In our solar powered winery, we follow traditional and natural winemaking practices. We are family and employee owned—ensuring consistency, stability and long-term generational sustainability of our sources and practices

www.obsidianridge.com

Item Special Note

Bidder must be at least 21 years old.

Winning bidders located in Northern California may pick up their items at Stone Bridge School in Napa from Tuesday, March 26 to Friday, April 12, 2019, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. PT. (Note that the school will be closed for spring break from April 15-19.) Items not picked up by April 12 will be mailed to the winning bidder, and purchaser is responsible for shipping and insurance costs.

Items purchased by bidders residing outside of Northern California will be shipped (if possible) on or around Tuesday, March 26, unless you tell us that you do wish to pick up your item. Purchaser is responsible for shipping and insurance costs. Please contact us at sbspcauction@gmail.com before March 25 if you plan to pick up.

Shipping: Note that wine shipping laws vary widely from state to state (e.g., shipping to Utah is prohibited). To find out shipping and insurance costs along with any limitations on wine shipments to a particular location, contact us at sbspcauction@gmail.com.

Stone Bridge School and SBS Parent Council are not responsible for items lost or damaged during shipping.

No shipping outside the United States.