2016 Mithra Cabernet Sauvignon. From Aria Vineyards block A&B. These were harvested in small, 1.5 ton lots and fermented in stainless steel tanks, with daily pump over to extract color from the skins. After fermentation, the wine was macerated for a total of 28 days, and pressed and racked to French oak barrels for aging, with approximately 80% new and 20% one-time use. The press wine was separated and not re-incorporated and the individual lots were aged for twenty months. Then through several rounds of tasting with our team, a final blend of 80% cabernet sauvignon 9% merlot, 6% cabernet franc and 5% malbec was determined to be the best expression of the vintage and the vineyard.
2016 provided us near perfect growing conditions which resulted in tiny berries with astounding intensity. Showing a deep inky almost purple color with a nose of crushed fresh blueberries, blackberries, mulberries, creme de cassis, licorice and floral notes. Bombarding the palette with incredible fruit richness, the full-bodied and elegant mouth feel leads to a very long finish, lingering up to a minute with impeccable harmony of the fruit. Production: 350 cases
The Mithra estate vineyard is located within the Mount Veeder American Viticultural Area of Napa Valley, CA. Planted to cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc and malbec, the vineyard continues to produce exceptional quality fruit. Now into our seventeenth vintage we can see the unique sense of place or terroir that shows through in the complex, layered and multidimensional fruit nuances that have now become a hallmark of Mithra. The steep mountainside vineyards, with it’s thin volcanic soil stresses the vines, coaxing them to produce small but intense berries. Our winemaking team purely enhances and brings to life the gift that Mount Veeder and Mother Nature give us.