1996 Cabernet Sauvignon

Tony Soter reports that he dropped a good 50% of the crop in his pinot noir sites in '97 by eliminating fruit at three different times, beginning just after the flowering. The vintage, he feels, will be a classic for those producers who began with moderate crop levels and limited selection to only the best lots. The '97 reds are generous and supple and the tannins fine, in his view. Soter recently announced his retirement from his consulting practice, deciding to devote his time to his family, his major new venture in Oregon (where he plans to specialize in pinot noir and sparkling wine), and to his own wine company, Etude. Long-time consulting partner Mia Klein will continue to work with such clients as Araujo Estate, Dalla Valle Vineyards and Niebaum Coppola Estate.

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.