Sebastiani Vineyards Cherryblock Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

This black beauty has complex aromas of blackberry, espresso with hints of truffle and cigar box. The deep currant and concentrated black cherry fruit reveal the California style on the palate. It finishes surprisingly soft at this time. Enjoyable now, but built to age and improve over the years. Made with 88.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6.5% Merlot, 5% Malbec.

Sebastiani's first century in Sonoma winemaking began when Samuele Sebastiani emigrated from the Tuscany region of Italy in 1895 and started Sebastiani nine years later. A stonemason by trade, he quarry-mined the Sonoma hills for cobblestones that were used to build the streets of San Francisco. He worked long hours and saved carefully to buy land in Sonoma County, from which he would make wine for the Sonoma community and San Francisco's restaurants. The winery was the only one in Sonoma County to continue operations through Prohibition, making a small amount of sacramental and medicinal wines. It has been joked, and perhaps with some grain of truth, that during this time there was a resurgence of people becoming very religious.