Cain Concept

The core of the 2003 Cain Concept – The Benchland is just what the name implies: Cabernet Sauvignon grown on the famed benchlands of Oakville, Rutherford, and St. Helena—the spiritual heart of the Napa Valley. Our selected vineyards, at the base of the mountains that border the valley, consist of coarse, rocky, well-drained soils that keep vigor in check while allowing fruit to ripen fully and evenly.

To add complexity and layers of flavor to this Benchland Cabernet Sauvignon, we blend small amounts of Cabernet Franc and Merlot from the cooler, clay soils of Carneros, as well as a small quantity of Petit Verdot.

2003 was the second in a row of two very warm growing seasons in the Napa Valley—even warmer than 2002. The wine reflects the vintage, the vineyard locations, the very modest yield, and the Cain winemaking style. This very supple and sensual vintage of Cain Concept is rich, plummy, dusty, full of ripe purple fruit, and with hints of fresh coffee. It exhibits the finesse and exceptional mouthfeel characteristic of the winemaking style of Cain. The wine spent about 19 months in French oak barrels, 75% of them new, before being bottled in June 2005.

Our winemaking program is simple and similar for all of our wines: hand picking, gentle destemming, native-yeast fermentation, thoughtful maceration, and manual pressing. The wines complete malolactic fermentation in the barrel, are blended in the spring following harvest, and are racked barrel to barrel. The 2003 Cain Concept – The Benchland was not fined, and it was bottled without filtration.

5487 cases produced



	The core of the 2003 Cain Concept – The Benchland is just what the name implies: Cabernet Sauvignon grown on the famed benchlands of Oakville, Rutherford, and St. Helena—the spiritual heart of the Napa Valley. Our selected vineyards, at the base of the mountains that border the valley, consist of coarse, rocky, well-drained soils that keep vigor in check while allowing fruit to ripen fully and evenly. To add complexity and layers of flavor to this Benchland Cabernet Sauvignon, we blend small amounts of Cabernet Franc and Merlot from the cooler, clay soils of Carneros, as well as a small quantity of Petit Verdot. 2003 was the second in a row of two very warm growing seasons in the Napa Valley—even warmer than 2002. The wine reflects the vintage, the vineyard locations, the very modest yield, and the Cain winemaking style. This very supple and sensual vintage of Cain Concept is rich, plummy, dusty, full of ripe purple fruit, and with hints of fresh coffee. It exhibits the finesse and exceptional mouthfeel characteristic of the winemaking style of Cain. The wine spent about 19 months in French oak barrels, 75% of them new, before being bottled in June 2005. Our winemaking program is simple and similar for all of our wines: hand picking, gentle destemming, native-yeast fermentation, thoughtful maceration, and manual pressing. The wines complete malolactic fermentation in the barrel, are blended in the spring following harvest, and are racked barrel to barrel. The 2003 Cain Concept – The Benchland was not fined, and it was bottled without filtration. 5487 cases produced
	Varietal Content Cabernet Sauvignon 75% Cabernet Franc 10% Petit Verdot 9% Merlot 6%
	About Cain Vineyard & Winery Cain Vineyard & Winery overlooks the Napa Valley from the top of Spring Mountain. The estate vineyard is planted to the five classic Bordeaux varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec. We produce three blended red wines, all of them from Cabernet varietals: Cain Five from our mountain vineyard, Cain Concept from the famed benchlands of the Napa Valley, and Cain Cuvée, a vibrant and versatile Cabernet blend from mountain and benchland fruit.
	Christopher Howell, General Manager/Winemaker
	Download a copy of this technical sheet. Download a copy of Questions and Answers with Winemaker Christopher Howell about Cain Concept