DESCRIPTION: We began sourcing from this site in Rutherford with the 2005 vintage and it’s amazing to think back now on how much has changed since that first time Kirk and I walked our block together. We had only just released our very first wine, the 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon, a few months earlier in 2004. There was no talk of building a winery then, frankly at that time I was busy figuring out how I was going to pay for this fruit. Thankfully, we made it work and this new source was part of something special, our first reserve production, the 2005 9-3-5. As we got to know the vineyard, it became clear that we had a site deserving of a singular focus, so for the 2008 vintage we decided to keep a small amount unblended. From that came our first ever single vineyard, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, then called simply the Rutherford AVA. This began our AVA Series and with the 2013 vintage we rechristened this wine Brinkman Block after and in honor of my mom, Christina Brinkman Stephens. The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, Brinkman Block provides the perfect example of why we find these single vineyard Cabernet expressions so compelling. The nose is abundant with rich yet graceful notes of blackberry, blueberry, dark chocolate and delicate hints of savory smoked meat and Christmas spices. The intense dark fruit captures the palate and lingers well into a vibrant complexly layered finish. This wine is a stunner in its youth and will age comfortably for 10 to 15 years.

Winemaker: Kirk Venge

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