Vineyard:

The Lieff vineyards are five small hillside vineyards on the eastern side of Napa Valley above Auberge du Soleil. The vineyards have close spaced vines and an excellent exposure facing the southwest. The moderately rich volcanic soils are perfect for Cabernet Sauvignon.

Viticulture and growing season:

The 2007 growing season was a winemakers dream vintage. A healthy but not heavy set and even flowering set the stage for very even ripening among the cabernet blocks. The growing season was cool but with enough heat to fully ripen the fruit at a slow even pace. As the season progressed we removed any clusters that might be falling behind or racing ahead so that when harvest started we had nothing but the most evenly ripe fruit on the vine when we picked on October 12 and October 7.

Winemaking:

Our wine is crafted by our outstanding Napa Valley winemaker Jeff Ames. The grapes were picked at the perfect point of physiological ripeness in October of 2007 and fermented for 18 days in tank and pressed straight to barrel slightly sweet to finish their fermentation in wood. The wine was aged in a combination of barrels from the coopers Taransaud and Darnajou for 2 years and bottled January 11, 2010. This extended time in barrel helped to further soften the tannins and allow the wine to be more approachable on release.

Tasting notes: 

The 2007 Lieff Cabernet is a fantastic example of just what makes the 2007 vintage so special for Cabernet. Balance is the key to this wine. Nothing is out of place. On the nose there is sweet blackberry/roasted meats/cloves/and a dusty earthy side to balance the rich fruit. In the mouth this is medium to full weight with seamless tannin integration/dark roasted coffee/dark chocolate and tobacco. The best wines in the best vintages have a seamless quality that makes you want to come back for another taste, that is the 2007 Lieff Cabernet.