Grain: The orientation of wood-cell fibers; the arrangement or direction of fibers in wood.
2016 was an extremely welcome and giving vintage on multiple fronts. The growing season was very controlled with the precipitation at the right times. Unlike previous years, there were very few drastic heat events, to cause stress to both the vines and winemakers. Notably, there were only two days over 100 degrees, whereas in 2015 there were more than 20 days of 100 degree weather. An usually cool August pushed our estimated harvest date further back into a more normal schedule. The greatest benefit of prolonged hang time on the vine is that the fruit develops more complex anthocyanin compounds, leading to more intense and nuanced flavors. Another advantage of the favorable climate during the growing season was the increase in the number and size of clusters compared to 2015. Farmed by the Abreu Vineyard Management team, the vineyard was given exceptional care and attention throughout the growing season.
As always, we feel that focusing on the vineyard is essential to have great fruit to work with and, in turn, producing quality wines. In addition to having mature, well farmed vineyards for both of our Hobel bottlings, we had a favorable growing season with none of the stress of the previous vintages. Beautiful and bountiful fruit came in and vinifications progressed smoothly. The resulting wines are continuing to evolve now that they are bottled and it’s evident that there are no missing components. The 2016s could possibly be the best set of wines yet from Hobel.
"Hobel's 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon The Grain offers serious potential. Intensely savory and structured, the 2016 hits the palate with tremendous richness. Graphite, black cherry, sage and menthol are all pushed forward. Although the 2016 is naturally very young, the tannins are quite polished, which points to the quality and harmony of the vintage." Vinous, Antonio Galloni, March 2018
