Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2003
Quiet evening at home, watching a movie, I finished off my leftovers from our dine-out Italian dinner the other night with some artisan cheeses. I pulled from the cellar this vintage Napa Cabernet. I admit I don't know much about this label and find it a bit of an enigma.
Atlas Peak is/was a small lot producer whose winemakers source grape from vineyard partners with mountaintop and lower-elevation vineyards on the both sides of Napa Valley; Howell Mountain, Spring Mountain and Mount Veeder. Since the producers do not own the land and wines are produced from purchased grapes, these would not be considered Estate bottled or Estate wines. The rear label says it is a combination of estate vineyards and partner vineyard sources in the wine.
Atlas Peak write that they focus on these 'cornerstone mountain vineyards' for their Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon since they provide "ideal growing conditions for building bold, well-structured wines that express the rugged elegance that comes from great fruit and hard work in hard-to-reach places. Atlas Peak’s most valuable hidden resource is literally underfoot: the elevation of its vineyard at over 1,000 feet. Grapes at high elevation, above the natural fog line, experience much lower daytime temperatures than those on the valley floor, allowing the grapes to stay cool while gaining maximum exposure".
According to the Napa Wine Project, they make their wine at their sister winery, the Geyser Peak Winery located in Dry Creek Valley (Sonoma County) in Healdsburg. They write further that "the fruit for their Atlas Peak wines come from their own vineyard and fruit for their other mountain grown wines comes from premium vineyards on Howell Mountain, Spring Mountain and Mt. Veeder. The wines from these other mountain regions are their “Mountain Series”', distinguished by the black label versus the one white label.
According to the Napa Wine Project, Atlas Peak Winery was founded in 1987 with the intent to focus on Italian varietals including Sangiovese. However over time their relatively high altitude vineyard location, specific soils & climate proved to be very conducive for growing premium Cabernet Sauvignon and now this varietal is their main focus. The actual winery was located on Atlas Peak – but they actually make their wine now at a large winery in Healdsburg (Sonoma County). Their vineyard land comprises about 500 acres making them one of the larger growers on Atlas Peak."
Interesting that they designate this as Napa Valley appellation wine, since it is inconsistent with the fact, on Howell Mountain, based on the fog line reaching up the hill to 1000 foot elevation, grapes above that level are considered Howell Mountain appellation grapes, while grapes below that level are considered Napa Valley.
With this vintage release in 2003, 'Atlas Peak’s entire philosophy of wine production changed to a focus on the extraordinary fruit grown on the best mountaintops surrounding Napa Valley. The Mountain Cabernet series is now the centerpiece of Atlas Peak’s offerings."
At seventeen years of age, this is still holding up well with the fruits just beginning to diminish and give way to the non-fruit notes of leather and tobacco.
Winemaker Notes - The 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon is rich with the flavors of ripe dark fruits and blueberries, surrounded by subtle hints of vanilla bean. The Cabernet is well structured with tannins that are soft and supple. This wine is perfectly suited for a rib eye or T-bone steak cooked to perfection, and is also an excellent match with grilled scallops. - Winemaker's notes from Wine.com
This was dark garnet/ruby colored with medium full body, complex with concentrated sweet blackberry and black currant fruits that are accented by notes of cassis, licorice, cola, leather and hints of cigar box and Asian spice.
RM 87 points.
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=270380
http://atlaspeak.com/
Quiet evening at home, watching a movie, I finished off my leftovers from our dine-out Italian dinner the other night with some artisan cheeses. I pulled from the cellar this vintage Napa Cabernet. I admit I don't know much about this label and find it a bit of an enigma.
Atlas Peak is/was a small lot producer whose winemakers source grape from vineyard partners with mountaintop and lower-elevation vineyards on the both sides of Napa Valley; Howell Mountain, Spring Mountain and Mount Veeder. Since the producers do not own the land and wines are produced from purchased grapes, these would not be considered Estate bottled or Estate wines. The rear label says it is a combination of estate vineyards and partner vineyard sources in the wine.
Atlas Peak write that they focus on these 'cornerstone mountain vineyards' for their Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon since they provide "ideal growing conditions for building bold, well-structured wines that express the rugged elegance that comes from great fruit and hard work in hard-to-reach places. Atlas Peak’s most valuable hidden resource is literally underfoot: the elevation of its vineyard at over 1,000 feet. Grapes at high elevation, above the natural fog line, experience much lower daytime temperatures than those on the valley floor, allowing the grapes to stay cool while gaining maximum exposure".
According to the Napa Wine Project, they make their wine at their sister winery, the Geyser Peak Winery located in Dry Creek Valley (Sonoma County) in Healdsburg. They write further that "the fruit for their Atlas Peak wines come from their own vineyard and fruit for their other mountain grown wines comes from premium vineyards on Howell Mountain, Spring Mountain and Mt. Veeder. The wines from these other mountain regions are their “Mountain Series”', distinguished by the black label versus the one white label.
According to the Napa Wine Project, Atlas Peak Winery was founded in 1987 with the intent to focus on Italian varietals including Sangiovese. However over time their relatively high altitude vineyard location, specific soils & climate proved to be very conducive for growing premium Cabernet Sauvignon and now this varietal is their main focus. The actual winery was located on Atlas Peak – but they actually make their wine now at a large winery in Healdsburg (Sonoma County). Their vineyard land comprises about 500 acres making them one of the larger growers on Atlas Peak."
Interesting that they designate this as Napa Valley appellation wine, since it is inconsistent with the fact, on Howell Mountain, based on the fog line reaching up the hill to 1000 foot elevation, grapes above that level are considered Howell Mountain appellation grapes, while grapes below that level are considered Napa Valley.
With this vintage release in 2003, 'Atlas Peak’s entire philosophy of wine production changed to a focus on the extraordinary fruit grown on the best mountaintops surrounding Napa Valley. The Mountain Cabernet series is now the centerpiece of Atlas Peak’s offerings."
At seventeen years of age, this is still holding up well with the fruits just beginning to diminish and give way to the non-fruit notes of leather and tobacco.
Winemaker Notes - The 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon is rich with the flavors of ripe dark fruits and blueberries, surrounded by subtle hints of vanilla bean. The Cabernet is well structured with tannins that are soft and supple. This wine is perfectly suited for a rib eye or T-bone steak cooked to perfection, and is also an excellent match with grilled scallops. - Winemaker's notes from Wine.com
Wine Enthusiast gave this an 86point rating and said, "Atlas Peak Cabernets have always seemed overly tannic, and so is this
wine. But it's fruitier and riper than in the past, and may develop.
It's tough and astringent, but packs a whallop with black currant
flavors."
This was dark garnet/ruby colored with medium full body, complex with concentrated sweet blackberry and black currant fruits that are accented by notes of cassis, licorice, cola, leather and hints of cigar box and Asian spice.
RM 87 points.
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=270380
http://atlaspeak.com/
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