Harvest and Varietal Information

2004 is a classic Cain Five—in the mold of the 1991 and 1994 vintages, but more refined. As with all vintages, the 2004 is all about the weather: at bloom and during ripening. In 2004, we had a poor bloom in our mountain-top vineyard, resulting in a yield smaller than our normal 1.5 tons per acre. The final blend incorporated more Merlot and less Petit Verdot than in some previous years. This was a natural reflection of the gentle, moderate ripening conditions. There was less heat than in the warmest vintages, which, in turn, gave us good concentration along with deeper and “sweeter” tannins.

The 2004 Cain Five epitomizes the character of the Cain Vineyard: freshness and vibrancy are the keys. Aromas of citrus and Douglas-fir overlay the black currant and black cherry of our mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. The palate is juicy, sweet, and mouth-watering. As always, we blend to achieve balance and continuity on the palate, followed by a long finish. While this wine drinks beautifully today, I expect the 2004 to age gracefully over the next ten years.

Our winemaking is simple: We believe that red wine is a partial extraction of the grape. Our goal is to get what we want and to leave the rest behind. At Cain, this means hand picking, gentle destemming, native-yeast fermentation, and manual pressing. The wine completes malolactic fermentation in the barrel, is blended early, is racked barrel-to-barrel, is egg-white fined, and is bottled without filtration.

ABOUT CAIN VINEYARD & WINERY
Cain Vineyard & Winery overlooks St. Helena from the top of Spring Mountain in the western hills of Napa Valley. The estate vineyard is planted to the five classic Bordeaux varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. We make three wines: Cain Cuvée; Cain Concept, representing the classical benchlands of the Napa Valley; and our signature blend, Cain Five.

Christopher Howell, General Manager/Winemaker