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98% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot The Lang & Reed 2003 Premier Etage, the eighth vintage release, emanates from two very distinct Napa Valley vineyards. The heart of the Premier Etage comes from the Madrigal Vineyard, located near Larkmead Lane half way between St. Helena and Calistoga. This vineyard lies in the middle of the old Richie Creek gravel bed. It has been the core of Premier Etage since its inception in 1996 and brings to the blend rich, dark chocolate flavors, textural tannins with substance and length. The other vineyard in the Premier Etage assemblage comes from the Wood Ranch. These vines take their foothold on a gravel bed on the eastern bench land of Rutherford where, over the centuries, Conn Creek has coursed its way back and forth across the valley. The geology of alluvial soils provides for quick drainage and sparse nutrients, allowing the vines to work a little harder during the growing season. The cuvee from the Wood Ranch included a small amount of Petit Verdot, which was co-fermented with Cabernet Franc. Premier Etage rises to the challenges of expressing intense quality of fruit and building complexities from the geology and climate of two vineyards. Each of the two cuvees receives slightly different fermentation regimes best suited to the particular vineyard and the ripeness of the grapes. All the grapes are de-stemmed, but not crushed, allowing the partial, whole-berry fermentation to bring forth the seductive Cabernet Franc perfume, aromas and fruit flavors. This year’s addition of Petit Verdot broadened the palate impression and intensified the opacity of the color. Various lengths of post-fermentation maceration are employed before the wine is racked into French oak barrels. Description: This Premier Etage displays a dried flower and herb perfume mixed with top notes of berry fruit, vanilla and a touch of smoke. The flavors are a combination of the aromatic notes with a typical dark Swiss chocolate impression noted in previous vintages of the Premier Etage. The follow-through is intense as the combination of rich fruit, fine-grain tannin and ‘good’ wood provides the wine with ample structure and proportion. We always view the Premier Etage to be a ‘Vin de Garde’, or a wine to age, meaning that with proper cellaring the wine will display additional complexities and nuance.
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