Darms Lane Bon Passe Vyd 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Darms Lane

The 2007 Bon Passe Cabernet exhibits a core of black cherry and delicate plum with hints of vanilla, cassis and cinnamon. The palate starts with concentrated smooth fruit forward entry and a softer acid profile that leads to rich and smooth tannins as it finishes with a touch of mocha. This wine hathe flavors and suppleness to be enjoyed on its own while maintaining an elegance that will complement many foods. The 2007 vintage for Napa Valley has been heralded by some to be the vintage of the decade. The growing conditions were optimal for optimal ripeness. For our vineyard, the 2007 vintage proves to have the best concentration levels and finest tannins yet. Enjoy!

Wine Enthusiast

The vineyard is in the Oak Knoll District. The wine is dry and full-bodied, packed with ripe blackberries, black cherries and black currants, as well as toasty oak. A bit brusque in tannins at this young age, it should be cellared for a few years. S.H. (5/1/2011) — 88 .

Type	Red
Varietal	Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabermet Franc
Vintage	2007
Bottle size	750mL
Alcohol content	14.5%
Appellation	California – Napa Valley
Wine Advocate	--
Wine Enthusiast	88
Wine Spectator	--
Other	n/a

Brian Mox, winemaker
Brian Mox has been the winemaker for Darms Lane Vineyard since 2003. Born and raised in the Midwest, Brian had family roots in farming and food production. He embarked upon Electrical Engineering studies at MIT, but was drawn to hands-on pursuits and the culinary arts. Taking time off from MIT, he worked in the restaurant industry in Seattle, where he acquired an interest in wine.
Realizing that wine related to his interests in food, science, history and agriculture, he began investigating the field of winemaking. He completed his first harvest in 1989 with Hargrave Vineyards on Long Island while completing his Chemistry degree at MIT. Arriving in Napa in 1991, Brian worked in the cellar at Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars and then went on to be Oenologist at Pine Ridge Winery. In 1996 he returned to the academic world to begin graduate work in the Department of Viticulture and Oenology at U.C. Davis. His interest was in the formation of pigments and tannins in grapes and wine, and he soon turned to full-time commercial winemaking.
In 1999, Brian helped set up Laird Family Estates as the facility’s first winemaker. This is where we were first introduced to Brian. In 2001, Brian moved to Etude Wines, where he worked with industry leading winemaker Tony Soter, to focus on his passion for Pinot Noir and the Bordeaux reds, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. In addition to making wine for us, Brian is also the winemaker at Lewis Cellars.

Bon Passe Vineyard
The vineyard is located in the southwestern bench lands of Napa Valley, in the Oak Knoll appellation. The vineyard is comprised of both hillsides and valley floor, with varying soil types. We focus heavily on our farming and believe that great wines begin in the vineyard.
Production Notes:
This is the third release of our 100% estate grown, hand-crafted, small production Cabernet Sauvignon. The vineyard is located in the southwestern bench lands of Napa Valley, in the Oak Knoll appellation. The vineyard is comprised of both hillsides and valley floor, with varying soil types. We focus heavily on our farming and believe that great wines begin in the vineyard. We produce our wine using small lot fermentation so we can have maximum flexibility for creating the most balanced and refined final blend.
Production:
495 Cases