2004 York Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Estate

Spring Mountain District, Napa Valley, CA

York Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is a red wine gem from mountain vineyards in the Mayacamas Range of California. Owner/winemaker Fritz Maytag followed his passion for wine to become first a grower and ultimately a winemaker for his York Creek Vineyards. His great-grandfather, F.L. Maytag, founded the Maytag appliance company in Newton, Iowa, but Fritz realized his own interests lay elsewhere. Beginning with the initial purchase of one parcel of land in 1968, York Creek Vineyards now owns 125 acres of grapes high above the Napa and Sonoma valleys, on the crest of the Mayacamas Range of mountains. It is an area which on the Napa side has long been known as "Spring Mountain." The property was named in honor of the defining feature of the land, the wild and beautiful York Creek, which flows all year through thick forests and redwood groves to empty into the Napa River. The wine label features 24 of the native trees that flourish at York Creek.

York Creek Cabernet Estate is the flagship wine, named "Estate" because it is blended from many different vineyard blocks with different exposures and elevations ranging from 1500 to 2000 feet. The 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon fraction is 80% and is itself a blend from three blocks: Springhouse, Lake, and Track. The rest of the blend is 12% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot. It is a rich, elegant mountain Cab with deep garnet color and a nose of cassis, blackberry, black cherry and mocha. Full-bodied and complex, it shows gorgeous flavors of dark berry fruit, black cherry and spice. Aged in French oak, 50% new, the wine is rich and intense now and should age beautifully for another 8-10 years. It is velvety smooth and long on the finish.

Enjoy York Creek Cab with beef Wellington, roast lamb, rich vegetable dishes and aged cheeses.