1994 Cabernet Sauvignon

The 1996 growing season featured shorter hang time and less crop than usual, according to Tony Soter, with relentless heat and very warm harvest conditions. Soter arrangements with growers, in which he essentially pays by plot size rather than by amount of fruit produced, clearly paid off in this challenging vintage. I also enjoyed an early look at the components of the '97 Etude pinot, as well as at a very rough approximation of the final blend, which offers considerable promise. In strong vintages beginning with 1996, Soter will offer limited quantities of a special "Heirloom" bottling, from a set of what he describes as "less commercial" French clones that tend to produce very low crop levels. The '96, to be released next fall (bottled without fining or filtration), features Burgundian aromas and fruit of almost dizzying sweetness.