1998 NAPA VALLEY
GOLD MEDAL WINE CLUB REVIEW	In spring of 1998 Keenan's last remaining Cabernet vines were torn out and replanted due to disease infestations. We were sad to lose our estate Cabernet, but this gave us the opportunity to work with fruit harvested from select vineyards throughout the Napa Valley appellation. Cabernet vineyards were carefully selected in order to ensure fully ripened fruit and a well-balanced blend. The 1998 vintage was somewhat troublesome due to a long winter and a relatively mild summer. Yet Keenan had no trouble harvesting Cabernet at optimum levels of maturity. After harvest the fruit was crushed, then fermented for seven to ten days. The wine was barrel aged in fifty-percent new French and American oak for a full two years. The blend was assembled just before bottling. The portion of Cabernet harvested from the Pope Valley region of Napa added plenty of forward fruit to the final blend. A vineyard in the Oak Knoll District imparted complex earthy characters, and Cabernet from St. Helena and Oakville added great structure. Five percent Merlot was added to the blend to give some additional black cherry and raspberry fruit nuances. The finished wine shows soft approachable characters even at its young age, yet the structure and complexity of the wine make it quite food worthy. "This Bordeaux-styled 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon  is smooth and round, with aromas and flavors of herbs, earth, and black currant....[This cabernet] is well-balanced, and made in a forward, attractive style. Readers should know that 1998 has been deemed by many as a bad vintage for the Noth Coast Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, yet attractive wines have been produced. Anticipated maturity: now-2012." --Robert M. Parker, Jr., Wine Advocate 2001 Los Angeles Fair, Limited Production Category GOLD MEDAL, BEST OF CLASS, BEST RED, and BEST OF COMPETITION
WINE DATA AWARDS & RATINGS 2001 California State Fair Gold Medal, 94 Points 2002 San Francisco Chronicle Northern California Wine Competition Gold Medal 2002 Hilton Head Wine Competition Gold Medal 2001 Jerry Mead's New World Wine International Competition Gold Medal Alcohol 13.5% Total Acidity 0.60 grams/100mL pH 3.48 Residual Sugar Dry Bottling Date Decembert 13, 2000 Blend 95% Cabernet Sauvignon 05% Merlot Production 2,450 cases