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(www.winesearcher.com pro version)

(shipping included)

"Grade A Vintage in Alexander Valley"

Wine Enthusiast 90 points

"Alexander Valley Cabs can have an earthiness, dried thyme and dill character. But that doesn’t mean a wine like this doesn’t have complexity and interest. The entry isn’t super-fruity, but the finish is rich in black currants, in this dry, balanced and nuanced wine."

"Compare this wine to other great Cabs from the Alexander Valley; Jordan, Silver Oak, Ferrai Carano but at a fraction of the price!  It's big, delicious and hearty with concentrated flavors and incredible aromatics.  Great balance with bright acidity which makes it a wonderful food companion" Mike, LCW

Winemaker Notes

The 2005 Optima Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is characterized by a wonderful forward, rich nose with generous bright fruit and deep, concentrated, multi-layered aromas of Black Cherry, Boysenberry, Raspberry, Chocolate and Lavender. Elements of sweet oak and vanilla carefully complement the ripe fruit flavors and the round, rich middle. Supple, yet with a weighty, very fruity mouthfeel and a medium tannic finish. The wine will cellar for years to come adding roundness and complexity.

The 2005 Vintage was produced from a premier Alexander Valley vineyard. The Cabernet Sauvignon was picked a day later on October 27, 2005 at 26.2 degrees brix. The grapes were fermented 10 days to dryness, then macerated an additional twenty-one days to soften and develop the tannins. Following pressing 90% of the wine was moved to 60 gallon French Oak barrels, 10% into American Oak where it received four gently barrel to barrel racking's. These racking's clarify the wine naturally, and eliminate the need for filtration. This vintage was barrel aged for twenty-two months prior to bottling.

Winemaker's Notes:
From Sonoma, a new philosophy in Winemaking. A unique blend of traditional Bordeaux varieties, and some untraditional. Produced from selected vineyards in Alexander Valley and aged 22 months in French oak barrels to create a wine of unparalleled quality and complexity, with character to withstand years of aging.

The Wine Spies 

Look – Deep burgundy in color with deeply concentrated color to its edges and through its slightly inky dark heart. When swirled, this wine shows off a softly bouncy surface that settles fast, leaving behind tight clusters if legs that start chubby, then, as they slowly make their way down the glass, they become skinny.

Smell – Beautifully aromatic, with deep layers of rich fruits of blackberry, blueberry, raspberry and dark cherry. These are joined by vanilla-oak, soft dark chocolate and hints of dried cranberry and soft spice.

Feel – Wet and soft at the front-palate, then medium tannins take hold at the edges and at the cheeks, introducing a soft minerality that tenderly dries the mouth.

Taste – Deeply delicious, with layers of authentic, ripe fruit of mixed berries, bramble, dark chocolate, dark plum, spice and a hint of fresh salad herbs.

Finish -Long and sweet, then softly tart with great fresh fruit that absolutely shines throughbrightly as first. Then, flavors tail off slowly, to be replaced by soft spice and minerals at the end.

Winemaker, Mike Duffy born in Salem, Oregon and raised in Redding, CA, Mike seemed destined early in to pursue a career in the wine business. As a youth his dad was an avid home-winemaker, Mike was fascinated by the process and would often times help his dad. When Mike was a sophomore in High school, he had already declared his intention to major in enology at UC Davis.

In 1980, during his last year at Davis, he landed an opportunity to intern at Trefethen Winery, where he had worked briefly during a crush one year. He was soon offered a job as Assistant Winemaker, so he decided to accelerate his schooling by jamming his entire last year into just 2 quarters.

In 1983 Mike moved over to Sonoma County to pursue is own dream of one day owning a winery. He took a job at Field Stone as the winemaker working along side with the Anfre' Tchelistcheff, a world renowned winemaker, for nine years while crafting his Cabernet for his Optima label. In 1984, Mike purchased grapes of his own, leading to his first production of 400 cases of Cabernet.

Today, Mike along with his wife Nicol and four boys celebrate Optima Winery's twentieth year, while continuing the tradition of producing premium world class wines.