Spann Vineyards

2013 Library 'Thirteen Barrels' Cabernet Sauvignon
Availablity

Out of stock

Price:
$75.00
Availablity

Out of stock


The cool climate at 1,700 feet of elevation in the Mayacamas Mountains is ideal for creating a Bordeaux-like Cabernet Sauvignon. To pursue this style we used four different grape varieties; cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot give structure while cabernet franc and Malbec add richness and smoothness on the palate. Cabernet sauvignon has a black currant aroma and flavor, petit verdot and cabernet franc have floral aromas with blackberry and raspberry tastes and malbec adds black cherry notes to create a wonderfully complex wine.

~ Tasting Notes by Winemaker Betsy Spann

TIP: Decant for 1 hour+
Appearance medium garnet with brick-ish edges
Aromas plum, blueberry, creme de cassis, leather, licorice, mint
Palate chocolate covered acai, hazelnut, cola, subtle tannins
Food Pairing Suggestions
Hearty dishes like lamb, beef, pork, sausage, grilled meats, stews and game will all pair beautifully with this wine. Dishes with black olives, black pepper, pungent herbs, and mushrooms will also complement nicely. Hard cheeses and salami make a perfect accompaniment as well. For dessert, serve with dark chocolate to highlight the flavors of the wine.
Composition

77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, 8% Malbec, 7% Petit Verdot

Region

Mayacamas Range, Sonoma County, CA


Production
303 cases
Alcohol
14.2%
Aging Potential
Aged to drinking perfection
Winemaker Notes

Each varietal was picked at optimum ripeness over the course of two weeks in October. The grapes were de-stemmed and then crushed by foot in open top half-ton bins, an old world technique used to get dark color without bitterness or astringency.


2013 was an excellent vintage throughout Sonoma County with a long, mild-to-warm growing season allowing the grapes to fully ripen and build rich flavors with good structure for medium to long-term aging.


 


Proprietors Peter and Betsy Spann held back a handful of cases to re-release after extra bottle aging at the winery.


 


– Fermented in open top bins, hand punched down and foot-trodden. Full malolactic fermentation for all varietals was completed in 59 gallon oak barrels.

– Aged 30 months in new and 2nd use 59 gallon French oak.


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Winemaker:

Betsy Spann

About the Winemaker:

Betsy’s love of wine was fostered by a move to Bordeaux with her family in 1975 where she explored the wines and cheeses of southwestern France.  After returning to California to attend college she went to work in a small wine shop where her interest grew and she opened her own boutique wine store. She then sold the shop and moved to Dry Creek Valley where she helped with the startup of Lake Sonoma Winery, working both in the vineyards and in wine production.

 

Betsy’s continued interest in European wines led her to Dallas, Texas to join the fine wine team of a large importing company.  This is where she met Peter, who charmed her with a keen sense of wine and an amazing wine cellar.  They fell in love, and married on one condition: that they would ultimately move back to her beloved California.  When they moved they decided to buy a vineyard and sell the grapes but when it came time to do so they decided to take the plunge and make their own wines instead.

Their experience with the wines of great producers around the world over the past 40 years has been invaluable. Peter and Betsy take the best ideas and techniques they’ve learned from European and California winemakers and apply them to their own wines.

They strive to create food-friendly, unique wines that are memorable and blend seamlessly into the occasion. Memorable in their purity, authenticity, distinctiveness, and enjoyment, seamless in how they integrate into the setting, whether it be with friends on the patio or accompanying a formal dinner. Whatever the time or place, Spann Vineyards will linger pleasurably on your palate and in your memory.

About the Winery
Spann Vineyards
Nestled among the majestic coastal redwoods of the Mayacamas Mountains, the steeply terraced mountainside vineyard yields small amounts of richly flavored Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Sangiovese grapes. From this and select cool-climate vineyards throughout Sonoma County, Betsy and Peter Spann craft very limited quantities of European-style blended wines, strongly influenced by their admiration of Bordeaux, the Rhone Valley and Tuscany.
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