THE WINE
Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Vineyard: Castle in the Cloud Vineyard, Oakville, Napa Valley CA
Alcohol: 14.8%
Aging: Drink now or lay down 10-15 years
THE SONG
El Rey is a classic song performed by the legendary Vicente Fernandez, the Frank Sinatra of Mexico. The song is about a king who has fallen from power and influence, but never loses his confidence, and won’t allow himself to believe he’s anything less than royal. The world around him can crumble and fail him, but his indomitable spirit will always be his to keep. This song reminds me of growing up with my father, who always taught me that regardless of the many hardships we faced and would continue to face, we must always push forward with the confidence befitting a true king.
VINIFICATION
100% destemmed, fermented on native yeast, on skin for 14-18 days. Aged for 22 months in 265L French oak barriques, 100% new.
TASTING NOTES
In Spanish, “El Rey” means “The King” … it stands alone in the singular, for there is only “the” one true king, and he reigns peerlessly above all else. This kingly nature is befitting of Cabernet Sauvignon, the most widely planted grape on this planet and commonly referred to as the “king” of all wine grapes, and for good reason. It’s natural tendencies towards alcohol, acidity, and preservative tannins allow wines crafted from these grapes to age in terms of decades & centuries, rather than simply years. When other wines have fallen flat and oxidized past their prime, Cabernet Sauvignon remains. They are the Crown Jewels of your father’s cellar and his father before him, as they will be the most cherished bottles for your children and theirs. Their copious dark fruit flavors and floral fragrances are kingly in their size and power, thus yearning for extended aging on thrones of new oak, which both help to tame and soften Cab’s wild-eyed idealism, all the while contributing flavors of chocolate, vanilla, coffee, toffee, butterscotch, and so much more that serve as a buttresses in the castle of The King.
