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To express the complexity of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape and diversity of the Napa Valley, Faust seeks Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from Agustin’s family vineyards in Rutherford and Coombsville, Napa Valley's newest appellation located in the eastern foothills south of Atlas Peak. Agustin’s relationships with growers in other Napa Valley appellations, such as Yountville, Mount Veeder, Atlas Peak, St. Helena and Rutherford, round out the wine with small lots from these spectacular mountain and valley terroirs.
Faust is crafted at the Quintessa winery in Rutherford, a state-of-the-art winery with the most modern technologies. The grapes are hand-picked, double-sorted, gently crushed and fermented in stainless steel and French oak fermentation tanks. After cold-soak and fermentation, the must undergoes a maceration period that can last up to three weeks. Critical flavor, aroma and color compounds are extracted at this phase. The wine is then transferred to French oak barrels for an aging period of 19 months.
| Tasting notes |
| The wine opens with aromas of red and black cherries, ripe raspberry, hints of violets and a lovely perfume. A lush, full entry on the palate with blackberry, cassis, coffee and dark chocolate flavors leads to a rich, supple mouthfeel. A complex finish with dark fruit lingers in the mouth. The wine continually evolves in the glass, making it worthy of another taste |
| Wine maker notes |
| The 2009 vintage brought moderate spring weather with alternating warm and cool days, which was very similar to the last few years. Early and mid-summer temperatures were temperate with expected warm spells. Late summer heat pushed flavor development and ripening
in the crop of small, concentrated berries. The majority of
the grapes were picked before the short period of rain and
those picked afterwards were hearty Cabernet Sauvignon
from hillside sites. De-leafing of the canopy, selective
picking and careful sorting ensured that the grapes
received at the winery were in optimal condition.
The grapes were hand-picked, double-sorted and crushed at Quintessa, then cold-soaked and fermented in both French oak and stainless steel tanks. After an extended maceration, Faust was aged for 19 months in 30 percent new and 70 percent once-used French oak |
| Technical notes |
| 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot,
3% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec |
| Other text |
| Faust, the wine, celebrates a legend which has inspired many great minds, among them the German poet Goethe, from whose masterpiece we draw our inspiration. In Goethe’s most famous work, the aging scholar Dr. Faust barters his soul in the afterlife in exchange for another chance at youth. He gets his chance, yet ultimately his soul is saved by love.
Faust is indeed the fruit of renewed passion for Agustin Huneeus, though Mephistopheles has not yet appeared to claim his soul. The underlying premise for all of the wines he has ever produced has been that great wines must be a reflection of a great vineyard. Faust is not. Instead, Faust is a tribute to Napa Valley’s noblest grape – full-bodied, decadently rich and unctuous Cabernet Sauvignon. |
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