Durant and Booth Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Wine 2020

In 1897, Frederick Durant and Willis and Joseph Booth formed a partnership and took over the Oakville Mercantile & General Store at the Oakville Crossroads. By 1904, the sale of the store and the Victorian home was finalized and Durant and Joseph Booth moved in. Over the next several years, they transformed the destination into a grocery store for the Napa Valley. Today, the historic family home stands at the gateway of one of the unsurpassed wine regions of the world and the home is one of the finest homes from the era.

THE VINTAGE
2020 kicked off with ideal growing conditions. Mild temperatures led to evenly developed clusters and an early budbreak was followed by a warm to hot summer. Low winter rains resulted in smaller berries with concentrated flavors. Harvest started in early August and all things pointed to normal yields and exceptional fruit quality.

WINEMAKER’S NOTES
Harvested in the cool morning hours from valley floor vineyards across Napa Valley, the grapes were hand sorted and underwent extended maceration before aging in a combination of bourbon and American oak barrels. Bourbon barrels have a heavier toast which imparts a light smoky note on the nose and highlights the characteristics that are synonymous with the spirit. The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon is deep, dark red in the glass and opens with aromas dark cherry and plum that spring from the glass. This is a full-bodied wine, filled with flavors of blackberry, cherry, caramel and spice. Aged in Bourbon barrels, flavors of brown sugar, sweet vanilla, baking spice and hints of toasted oak are textured throughout the palate. Balanced with fine-grained tannins, the finish is long and smooth.