2018 Hobel Cabernet Sauvignon The Figure

2018 was a welcome return to normal. The vineyards re-energized with the abundant winter rains and cooler spring temps and moisture in the soils lead to later bud break and bloom. These important events were coupled with near-perfect weather which allowed the fruit to set evenly and abundantly. The fruit developed on the vine throughout the summer without many major heat events. These consistent, warm temperatures drove great, balanced phenolic development in the fruit. Going into harvest, we saw no inclement weather to force our picking decisions, which was ideal for our sites like the Pozzan Vineyard in Calistoga, where we typically see ideal maturity in October.

I may sound like a bit of a broken record but every year of vine age and added attention to farming in the Pozzan Vineyard is really paying off for The Figure bottling. Our predictions of what was to come for the 2018 Figure after early sampling from barrel have come true. The Figure is deeply colored, with layers of dense fruit and an exotic perfume. It still has plenty left in reserve to unwind with some cellar time. If you loved the 2016 Figure, the 2018 is several steps up and a great candidate for cellaring.