Hannah Nicole Vineyards Cabernet Saugivnon 2003

85% Cabernet Sauvignon
15% Merlot
Contra Costa County
13.9% alcohol


From the bottle notes:

All great wines start in the vineyard... with great grapes. At Hannah Nicole Vineyards our goal is to produce 100% of the grapes used for our wine in our Brentwood, California Vineyards. By controlling the growing process we are assured that our wine is made from grapes grown to the highest standards. Our vineyards are pruned to allow no more than four tons of grapes per acre.This help us create the intense flavors and color that you will find in all of our wines. The warm Delta days and cool nights help the grapes mature in perfect balance. Once the grapes are ready for harvest, we handpick all of our grapes so that only the best grapes are used for our wine.

Our 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon is deep in color and complex with intense flavors of plum, black cherry, licorice and anise. Heavy tannins combine with new French Oak in this classic Cabernet Sauvignon. Produced from 85% Cabernet Suavignon and 15% Merlot and aged for 24 months in 40% New French Oak. Great with Lamb, Beef or Chocolate!

Night One

The first impression of the nose is that it is a little green. There is a touch of black currant, enough to say 'there's cabernet sauvignon in there,' but it is certainly not "intense." On the palate, too, green was the primary impression. Maybe it needs more time. Let's give it a night to sleep and see what happens tomorrow.

Night Two

The first impression on the nose tells you that the additional time helped. The first impression was of bruised plums, bruised apples and caramel. Stick your nose all the down into the glass, close your eyes and inhale deeply and richer odors come through, smells of coffee, black fruit and raisins.

The palate was still a little green, but not like Night One. Blackcurrant and plum skins led the attack. There was a real mid-palate as the black fruit morphed to dark cherries, cherry stones and unsweetened chocolate. Tannins are dry and strong, and not yet well-knit with the fruit. Tannins and fruit fight with each other rather than complementing each other.

This was far richer the second night but was still green and out of balance. It will improve, in my opinion, with some cellar time, but will never be great, or even particularly good. It will be competent but not much more.