# Taken From Granite Cabernet Sauvignon Village (1997)

- **Producer:** Clos Saron
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Cabernet Sauvignon
- **Region:** California, United States
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 12.8%
- **Average price:** €75
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 16–18 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** plum, cherry, blackcurrant, cedar, tobacco, leather, mushroom, dried fig, dried cranberry

## About this wine

Crafted by winemaker Gideon Beinstock, Taken From Granite represents a unique library re-release of wines originally grown at Renaissance Vineyard in California's North Yuba AVA within the Sierra Foothills. Planted in the late 1970s on high-altitude terraced mountain slopes with decomposed granite soils, the 1997 Village bottling combines the estate's finest reserve slopes. Years after leaving Renaissance to establish Clos Saron, Beinstock acquired undisturbed library bottles cellared in Oregon House and re-released them under the Taken From Granite label to highlight their exceptional terroir and longevity.

## Interesting facts

- The wine was cellared undisturbed at the winery in Yuba County for over two decades before being re-released.
- At just 12.8% ABV, this high-altitude mountain red contrasts sharply with typical high-alcohol 1997 California Cabernets.
- Vines were planted in decomposed granite from the 165-million-year-old Smartville Intrusive Complex.
- Winemaker Gideon Beinstock personally helped plant the original vines at Renaissance Vineyard in the late 1970s.

## Food pairing

This fully mature Cabernet Sauvignon pairs best with rich, savory meats and earthy dishes. The wine's vibrant mountain acidity cuts through rich fats, while its refined, fine-grained tannins and savory granitic depth complement braised game, wild mushrooms, and aged hard cheeses.

## Wine making process

The grapes were harvested from 21-year-old vines grown on steep granitic mountain slopes at elevations up to 2,300 feet. Winemaking followed an Old World, minimal-intervention approach using native ambient yeasts for natural fermentation without chemical adjustments or heavy oak intervention. After initial cellaring, the bottles remained undisturbed at the winery's dry cellar in Yuba County for over two decades prior to re-release.