Jericho Canyon · Calistoga
Jericho Canyon Cabernet
Cabernet Sauvignon
The wine in which the cellar method came fully into focus. One coordinated Prelude start became four distinct finishing fermentations, then four élevage lots—each kept separate long enough to reveal what it could contribute.
Wine highlights
01 / Progress
The wine,
step by step.
- Fruit1.65 tons
3,300 pounds from Jericho Canyon
The Cabernet entered at 23.1 °Brix, pH 3.77, and TA 6.3 g/L. The lot was divided between two 1,050-pound macro bins and three 400-pound open-top barrels.
- Crush5 vessels
A consistent foundation
Fruit was sorted, destemmed, and lightly crushed. Lallzyme EX-V and FT Rouge were measured by vessel so extraction began from the same baseline.
- Fermentation5 yeasts
Prelude first, then four paths
The entire vintage began with Prelude. After a controlled 2–3 °Brix drop, the lots were split to D254, BM4X4, Bravo, and Ruby.
- Cap workDaily
Extraction followed the wine
Temperature, °Brix, aroma, and taste were checked daily. Punch-downs began at two to three per day, then tapered as ethanol and seed tannin increased.
- Separation81.8 / 18.2
Free run and press kept apart
The cellar recorded about 765 liters of free run and 170 liters of press wine after racking adjustments, preserving press wine as a deliberate structural component.
- Lot design4 lots
Barrels built by purpose
B1 paired a BM4X4 base with Ruby lift. B2 paired D254 with a small Bravo fraction. Two French-oak lots kept structural components available for later trials.
- OakStaged
Forest and toast matched to the wine
B1 received Jupilles M+, American M, and Tronçais M+ staves. B2 began with Tronçais M+, while additional oak was held back pending two-week tastings.
- ProtectionLot by lot
Each lot finished on its own clock
D254 completed malolactic fermentation first and was protected separately. Slower lots stayed warm, unsulfited, and on gently stirred fine lees until confirmed complete.
- Bench trial12 tasters
A 12-person panel sets the direction
The preferred main blend combined B1, B2, and the remaining B3 without B4. B4 showed beautifully alone and was protected as a reserve or standalone candidate.
- PatienceRe-taste
Winning trials, not a rushed final blend
All four wines remain in their respective barrels for two more months before the preferred trials are repeated and any final blend is committed.
02 / Tasting record · Latest group tasting
“The main blend improved when every good barrel was not forced into it.”
B1, B2, and B3 gave the panel the strongest 2025 direction. B4 tasted excellent alone but changed the main blend, making it more valuable as a protected reserve and micro-blending tool.
Wine profile
- Core lots
- B1 · B2 · B3
- Reserve
- B4 standalone candidate
- Direction
- Fruit · structure · length
03 / Notes
What stays
in the record.
What made this wine different
The fermentation plan was designed for options. Prelude gave the entire lot a coordinated start; D254, BM4X4, Bravo, and Ruby then developed separate expressions.
The cellar did not blend away those differences early. Free run and press stayed separate. Oak was matched to each lot. Even after a favorite emerged, every barrel was given more time before repeating the trial.
Barrel strategy
- B1: BM4X4-led, with Ruby adding aromatic lift; a 75-gallon Modern Cooperage stainless barrel with a rotating stave carousel.
- B2: D254-led, with a small Bravo component; a second 75-gallon Modern Cooperage stainless barrel.
- B3: a French-oak structural lot with American-oak-head influence.
- B4: a small once-used French-oak lot that emerged as a compelling standalone wine and reserve component.
Oak as a measured variable
B1 began with four Jupilles Medium+, four American Medium, and five Tronçais Medium+ staves. B2 began with twelve Tronçais Medium+ staves, while three more were deliberately held back. The rule: taste every two weeks and add only if the wine needed more mid-palate or length.