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Spring 2007 Newsletter
Dear Friends,
We have three wines to offer: 2003 Cain Five, 2003 Cain Concept (in magnums), and NV4 Cain Cuvée. Also, this is our first general offering that is electronically enabled—we’re particularly excited about that—and Meghan explains it all in her accompanying letter. Since most of you want to read about the latest vintage of Cain Five, we’ll begin here.
First of all, it must be noted that, while the vintage characteristics of the Napa Valley are generally applicable at Cain, the vintages of the Cain Five are particular to the Cain Vineyard. It is a unique location, generally cooler, with later budbreak, unpredictable weather at bloom, and an earlier end to the ripening season. All things being equal, it is our low yields (1 to 2 tons per acre) that often save us. However, 2003 didn’t need saving—we were able to begin and finish harvest under warm, benignly sunny skies. The grapes were fully ripe, and the distinctive aromas and structure that are characteristic of the Cain Vineyard came singing through. The 2003 vintage of Cain Five will certainly be a classic. Although it’s beginning to drink well now, it can easily age another ten years or more. What I particularly like about this wine are its subtle complexity and its mouthwatering texture—qualities that can come only from a place like the Cain Vineyard.
Some of you have tasted our 2003 Cain Concept The Benchland, released last Fall. This wine has proven to be very seductive, with its lush entry and silky finish. We make the Cain Concept in the same way we make the Cain Five. The only difference is where the grapes grow—in this case, the benchlands of the Napa Valley, which I would call “The Promised Land” for Cabernet Sauvignon in the Valley. From Oakville to St. Helena, it is on these gravelly, well-drained alluvial fans that line the edges of the heart of our valley that Cabernet Sauvignon has consistently turned in world-class wines and put the Napa Valley “on the map” of the world’s great winegrowing regions. Tasting our Cain Concept side-by-side with the Cain Five provides a perfect example of the power of terroir. The warmth and generosity of benchland Cabernet is easy to appreciate through the lens of our winemaking at Cain, where the traditional hallmarks of fine wine—complexity, balance, and finish—are always honored. Although the 2003 Cain Concept should age nicely for 10 years or so, it will age still more gracefully in magnums. We have 60 cases of magnums, and it is a great pleasure to be able to offer them to you.
If you’ve been following Cain for some time, you’ll know that the Cain Cuvée project is an odyssey that is coming home. We have experimented with various winemaking styles, blends, and fruit sources, and even with blending more than one vintage. Our goal has always been to create a lively, enjoyable Cabernet blend that serious wine lovers could take seriously, but that one could enjoy tonight and that would work well in many different settings. The truth is, we’re not trying to make an “easy” wine or a simple wine—we just want a complex red wine that is approachable and is built on flavor rather than on tannin. Along the way, we’ve learned that we can make a very serious wine that is not Cain Five but that is still in the Cain style. We really enjoy the familiar aromas that we recognize coming from fruit grown on Spring Mountain, and also the lighter, more delicate body of wines we can obtain through very gentle handling of select fruit—especially Merlot grown in the Valley. More recently, we discovered the virtues of blending vintages; layering a patina of age over the fruitiness of youth. There’s a synergy in this blend that makes the wine distinctively Cain. Our active pursuit of a complex and interesting bouquet, coupled with an affirmed willingness to let the wine dance lightly on the palate, is a statement about wines that we love. We make wines for pleasure—yours!
The NV4 has a beautiful new label. It is intended to bring the Cain Cuvée “into the family” alongside our Cain Five and Cain Concept—each wine unique, each distinct, and each clearly part of one body of winemaking. The NV4 is built principally on the 2004 vintage, which was a bit cooler and gave lower yields than recent vintages. As a result, the NV4 tends toward greater density and more structure, which is relieved by the sweetness and flow contributed by the 2003 vintage.
Thanks very much for your continued support of our work at Cain.
Chris Howell |
