2004 Helena Montana Cabernet Sauvignon

“The growing season in 2004 was warm and dry. The wine that resulted is very dark to opaque ruby in color. Powerful aromas of black raspberries, blackberries and cassis combine with notes of graphite, slate, smoke and spice. As with all previous vintages of Helena Montana, this wine is full-bodied. Tart black- berry and dark plum flavors accentuated by notes of new leather and fennel layer the palate. The wine’s rocky minerality and firm tannins give undeniable proof to its mountain origins.” - Pierre Seillan, Vigneron/Winemaker

92 POINTS, Robert Parker, Jr., The Wine Advocate, December 2006
“The deep purple-colored 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Montana reveals aromas of crushed rocks, flowers, black currants, and spicy oak. Powerful, tannic, medium to full-bodied flavors coat the mouth, but this cuvee clearly needs time in the bottle. Although it possesses beautiful purity, structure, and intensity, it will benefit from 2-3 years of cellaring, and should keep for 15-20.”

90 POINTS, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, May 2007
“The soil here is rich in white volcanic ash. Good full ruby. Black fruits and a hint of game on the nose. Silky on entry, then more complex and less oaky in the middle palate than the Helena Dakota bottling, offering an attractive combination of ripeness and verve. But not at all overly sweet. Finishes with substantial but ripe tannins and a juicy quality that suggests this will age gracefully.”

Sourced from estate-owned vineyards, Anakota is a collection of single vineyard, single varietal, Knights Valley appellation wines that personify the rustic elegance and spirit of rural Sonoma County. Situated on the flanks and foothills of Mount St. Helena, at the heart of a complex volcanic zone that erupted several million years ago, the Helena Montana Vineyard is brought to life as stressed vines struggle with the rocky soils and challenging climatic conditions to create small, intensely flavored berries.

Running northeast to southwest on the eastern side of scenic Highway 128, the Helena Mountain vineyard offers ever-changing topography. Rolling hills abut steep benches with slopes of up to 30 degrees. This juxtaposition of hills, knolls and trees routes cool, westerly winds away from the vines. Planting vines perpendicular to the prevailing winds provides even more protection. A pure mountain stream and rocky ridge separate this vineyard from our Helena Dakota vineyard.

Distinctive yellow-white soil that does not yield easily to touch typifies this vineyard. This pale, sandy and gravelly loam at first glance resembles solid rock. A stringent pruning process forces the roots of vines down through this firm soil strata rather than allowing them to grow parallel to the surface as they would on their own. All the same, the roots do not deeply penetrate the earth, which results in smaller, more stressed vines than those of our neighboring Helena Dakota vineyard.

• 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
• 14.5% Alcohol
• 0.58 TA
• 3.68 pH
• Aged 14 months in small French oak barrels, 70% new