Spring Mountain Vineyard Elivette 2004
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Robert
Product Details
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Blend: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, 7% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc
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Wine Enthusiast
Mainly Cabernet Sauvignon, grown in the winery's estate vineyard, this is an immaturely tough, hard wine, even at the age of 4-plus years. The rugged mountain tannins are drily intrusive, but the vast core of black currants strongly suggests aging. Already throwing some sediment, it should be better after 2009 and beyond.
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Wine & Spirits
Scents of wild blueberries and mineral tannins fill this dark, supple wine. It's dense, rich and savory, with powerful tannins that hold on through a tight finish. This is primarily cabernet sauvignon (80 percent) with small amounts of petit verdot, merlot and cabernet franc. It's the top selection from Spring Mountain Vineyards' 225 acres of vines and shows the warmth of the early 2004 harvest with lovely textural grace. Probably best ten years from the vintage.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, 7% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc, the 2004 Elivette Proprietary Red Wine spent 22 months in French oak and 24 months in bottle prior to release. Made in a more generous style, it exhibits plenty of raspberry and blueberry fruit notes intermixed with a hint of spring flowers, an attractive texture, fine purity as well as elegance, and a medium-bodied mouthfeel. Drink it over the next decade.
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Guide
Connoisseurs'
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The upper most property on the estate, La Perla, was founded in 1873 by Charles Lemme and expanded by the Schilling Spice family. Originally 285 acres it had the first Cabernet Sauvignon planted on Spring Mountain. The old winery remains today along with much of its original equipment and horse drawn carriages and wagons. Immediately below La Perla, and eventually added to it was the first vineyard planted by Fredrick and Jacob Beringer in 1882. These terraced hillsides were planted in a wide assortment of grape varieties to support the Beringer brothers fledgling winery.
Adjoining to the north of the Beringer vineyard was a Frenchman, Fortune Chevalier, whose stone winery, Chateau Chevalier, was making wine in 1891. And finally, next door to Chevalier was Tiburcio Parrott who grew olives, citrus and grapes. Parrott built a grand home on the estate which he named Miravalle.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.