You can never go wrong with a little of Nicole’s Proprietary Red

The other evening, I was about to enjoy a beautifully prepared dry aged barbecued prime rib…medium rare, thank you!

So, I thought….Oh, I need to find a great red!  Off I went thinking and talking to myself about the wine possibilities.  It drove me nuts!  But once I got to  my wine storage and studied our collection of reds, I was so excited to find that we still had one last bottle of Nicole’s Proprietary Red from Lancaster Estate.

Ooh, the memories of the rolling hills at the estate, the early morning sun, glistening of the morning dew in Alexander Valley, right in the midst of California’s wine mecca.

What a great vineyard…..and uncorking the 2005 Nicole’s Proprietary Red – Cab, Merlot blend, smelling the bouquet, quickly reminded me why this wine from Lancaster Estate is so special!

A few Wine notes for the 2005 Lancaster Estate Nicole’s Proprietary Red

Each vintage a number of our Cabernet vineyard blocks will mature to near perfection, producing fruit with a definitive richness of character. From these blocks, our winemaker identifies and hand-selects grapes to craft a proprietary bottling. Estate grown, produced and bottled, our 2005 Nicole’s has ripe cherry and red berry fruit characters, accented by aromas of sweet tobacco, chocolate ganache, and spice and a long, concentrated finish. Aged 22 months in French oak barrels, the wine was bottled unfiltered. 750 cases produced.

Lancaster Estate

Founded in 1995, Lancaster Estate is a family owned winery, dedicated to crafting wines that are estate grown, bottled, and produced. Situated on 53 hillside acres at the southern tip of Alexander Valley, near the confluence of the Knights Valley and Chalk Hill appellations, this location enjoys the warm climate, depleted soils, and rugged hillsides uniquely suited to Bordeaux varieties.

2005 Vintage

Budbreak began early driven by warm temperatures in March, followed by rains in spring and early summer. A long, consistent growing season with temperatures warming in October led to clusters that were full and plump, with excellent flavor development and complexity. Yields were superior, yet fruit expressed excellent structure, density and well concentrated, full flavors.

Composition & Analysis
84% Cabernet Sauvignon
16% Merlot
Titratable Acidity 0.60 g/100mL
pH 3.63
Alcohol by volume 14.7%

www.lancaster-estate.com/