There is much to be said about the 2007 vintage and what has been going on here at Slaughterhouse Cellars. We agree with Robert Parker that “2007 is no doubt the greatest vintage for Bordeaux varietals in Napa since 2001 and 2002.” We bottled more 2007 than any previous vintage - - 320 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon and 36 cases of Cabernet Franc. They are both wonderful wines but, as you might expect, very different (more below).

When we released our tiny 2004 vintage (146 cases), we explained our pricing philosophy (a combination of quality and scarcity) to support the increased price for that vintage. Our 2007 vintage is a wonderful wine, but to be consistent with that philosophy and to ensure integrity of our pricing, we have reduced the price of our 2007 to $50 for the Cabernet Sauvignon and to $28 for the Cabernet Franc.

The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon includes only 2% Cabernet Franc. Each year our winemaker sits down with us just before bottling and we sample numerous blends to determine if and how much of our Cabernet Franc we will blend into that vintage. As a result of the small percentage of Cabernet Franc in the 2007, we had enough Cabernet Franc to bottle it separately for only the second time.

The Cabernet Sauvignon has elegant dark fruit elements and is well-structured, with very nice acidity. It is not as tannic at this early stage as the 2002 which needed to be opened and decanted before drinking when it was young. While very approachable now, it should age well for a number of years. Our 2007 Cabernet Franc, with alcohol of only 13.1%, is fresh, with lively red fruit and herbal notes. As many of you know, Cabernet Franc is made in two regions in France. Lighter, more food-friendly Cabernet Francs are made in the Chinon region of the Loire Valley. Our Cabernet Franc is more like a Chinon than a Right Bank Bordeaux. And, like so many of the Chinons, this is a superb food wine.