PHOENIX VINEYARDS
1998 Napa Valley Sangiovese ~ Blood of Jupiter
Winemaker's Notes:
Varietal %s: 86% Sangiovese, 13% Cabernet Franc, 1% Pinotage
Date of Harvest: Oct 22nd and Nov 16thBrix at Harvest: 22.3-24.9 Brix
Length of Ferment: 7-9 days with up to 26 days total skin contact time
End Alcohol: 14.2%
Time in Oak: 8 months in French (two-thirds) and American Oak (one-third) barrels
Bottling Date: July , 1999 (No fining or filtration)
174 cases produced
The 1998 vintage (late, small, soft) was quite a contrast to 1997 (early, big, tannic). Our Sangiovese crop level was down almost 30% from 1997. The 1998 vintage was a late vintage and the spring weather was wetter than usual and quite mild. In early summer the temperatures skyrocketed to record levels. The mild spring weather had not prepared the succulent tissues of the vine foliage and fruit to withstand scorching. Many vineyards lost fruit due to sunburn. Heat damaged fruit can also present problems in the winery during the fermentation. The vines of Phoenix Vineyards fared quite well through all of this due to the vigilance of Vineyard Manager David Bader. Properly timed irrigation kept our fruit from burning.
But we were not out of the woods yet. There was some rain during September with a cool weather system following. A significant rainstorm was forecast for the first weekend in October, which would have dropped 2 inches of rain. This could have been a disaster for the quality of the harvest. Growers throughout Northern California, ourselves included, breathed a sigh of relief when the storm never showed and we had over 3 weeks, of wonderful warm weather to bring the rest of the harvest in.
As in previous vintages we crushed our Sangiovese into open-top fermenters. During the fermentation we used the old method of punching-down of the cap to extract color and character from the skins. We chose a slightly shorter barrel aging period to showcase the delicate fruit of the wine. The wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered to preserve maximum character for the bottle.
This is the first vintage that Cabernet Franc has played such an important role in blending for the Blood of Jupiter. It has replaced our usual component of Pinotage and lends a greater complexity to the aroma of the wine. The color is a deep red with a clear rim. Aromas of cherry preserves and briar show in the nose with even some floral notes coming with air exposure. There is also ahint of pepper and vanilla (cr~me brullee?) late in the palate. This wine can be enjoyed now and will continue to maintain this elegant balance over the next few years. It would pair well with a wide range of dishes including salmon, lamb and pork.
