2019 Hobel Cabernet Sauvignon The Arris

Back for 2019, the Sodhani Vineyard has a mix of high and low vigor pockets, so achieving a fine balance of canopy and fruit takes a skilled team. Luckily for us, we have spent the last 5 years working diligently to learn all the contours and micro-pockets of this hillside site. With big Winter rain, came big canopy development early on, and that meant most of the vineyard crew’s attention was focused on interior and fruit-zone leafing, lateral removal and tipping the long runner shoots. Once the canopy was organized and adjusted for the perfect amount of dimpled light and air flow, the crew made small crop load adjustments as needed to achieve the right amount of balance between the canopy and the clusters. The crop load self-regulated this year and with some light thinning in the high vigor pockets, by the time we reached full veraison, everything in the Sodhani Vineyard was prepared for the critical process of the vines maturing the clusters. Our fruit was harvested on the night of October 17th and brought to the winery at dawn where it was processed and transferred to tank.

Back in the lineup for 2019 and firing on all cylinders is The Arris from the Sodhani Vineyard on the western bench North of St. Helena. After five years of fine-tuning farming in the vineyard, one can really see the results in this bottling. Just as dense as The Figure, but darker in color with amazing texture and minerality, this wine is a contender for wine of the cellar in 2019.