Lockwood Vineyard's unique soil began its formation under an ancient sea, where microscopic sea creatures lived and died, creating a sedimentary layer of seashells. Over time, this layer was crushed and became fossilized, creating shale, a form of calcium similar to chalk or limestone.This shale layer was transported by the movement of plate tectonics to what is now Lockwood Vineyard.
Slowly the shale was integrated into the loam soil, forming a unique and geologically recognized soil known as Lockwood Shaly Loam. This soil was recognized by the U.S. Geological survey in 1946 and is only found in two small areas of Central California: Lockwood Vineyard and a coastal cliff region near Big Sur. The distinctive soil and unique climate is perfectly suited to grow and mature both warm and cool climate grapes. This rare combination and a commitment to estate grown and bottled wine makes Lockwood Vineyard's wines stand out from the crowd.
Cabernet Sauvignon is the major varietal in their Partners' Reserve. They picked the grapes at perfect ripeness, destemmed them, and then crushed them. Fermentation lasted a full ten days, and the wine was pressed off to barrel. The complexity of this new wine developed nicely and was closely watched throughout the 23 months of barrel age.
The grape makeup is similar to what you would find in Pauillac, the finest area in Bordeaux, France. The interesting thing here is that the Lockwood Vineyard is one of the few vineyards in the world that actually comes close to Bordeaux both in climate and soil. Pretty heady comparison here!
The Lockwood Vineyard 2007 Partners' Reserve has a complex arrangement of aromas and textures. The bouquet is of tobacco leaf, olive, black cherry, plum and dried cherry. Flavors are of rich, concentrated fruit balanced by youthful tannins. The small addition of Malbec defines the depth of fruit and the Merlot adds a bit of spice on the finish. A must with prime rib.
