Vine Hill Ranch is a blend of two clones of Cabernet Sauvignon from three special blocks in the Vine Hill Ranch vineyard in Napa Valley's western benchlands near Oakville. Hand-harvested at night to ensure the fruit's freshness and varietal purity, each of the three vineyard blocks is fermented and barrel-aged separately. After the grapes are gently destemmed and crushed, the must from each of the three vineyard lots is cold-soaked in stainless steel tanks for 48 hours to extract color, aromas, flavors and tannins prior to initiating fermentation with a cultured French yeast strain. Once fermentation completes, the wines enjoy an extended maceration on their skins to extract color and flavor and soften tannins. A big, intense wine with aromas of blackberry and boysenberry accented with hints of dark chocolate. The deep, dark fruit extends over an opulent palate supported by a firm tannin structure, and then on into a dense, powerful finish.