SBRAGIA FAMILY VINEYARDS IS A DREAM THAT I've had for some time, a small, family-owned winery making limited, individual lots of wine from grapes grown in select blocks of my favorite vineyards. I've always had one foot in Sonoma and the other in Napa. Both areas mean a lot to me emotionally. I'm more attached to Dry Creek because it's where I raised my kids. But the wines that I've made at Beringer are like children, so Napa is also a very special place for me. Either way, the wines are intensely personal, an expression not only of terroir, but of my family's winemaking heritage.

For the good of the kids; bid!

Spring 2008 was one of the driest on record with virtually no rainfall. Summer was on the cooler side, but was steady with no major heat spikes until Labor Day, thus allowing wonderful flavor development. The grapes for the 2008 Andolsen Cabernet Sauvignon were hand-picked on October 1, 2008.

Vineyard Notes

I buy these grapes from Dr. Andolsen, our long-time friend (over 20 years) and family doctor. We select the fruit from my favorite blocks on this vineyard on the west side of Dry Creek in the rolling hills of the Coastal Range in Sonoma County, California. It’s a great piece of land and the wine it makes offers an elegant, yet ripe, rich cherry characteristic that I always associate with this appellation.

Winemaker Notes

I believe in taking a minimalist approach to this wine during winemaking in order to preserve the rustic qualities that I love about this Dry Creek Cabernet that is always evident when it comes into the winery at Harvest. The 2008 Andolsen Cabernet Sauvignon was aged for 18 months in 100% new French oak barrels imparting cedar and brown spice aromas and flavors and supple tannins. The wine underwent malolactic fermentation which softened the tannins and contributed to a rich, lengthy finish. Adam and I blended in a small amount of Cabernet Franc adding structure and subtle complimentary herbal characteristics.

Tasting Notes

Deep purple color with aromas of rich black fruits, cassis and hints of roses and herbs.