Tin Cross Block, Ash Creek Vineyards, Sonoma County

Tin Cross Block, Ash Creek Vineyards Tin Cross - Cabernet Sauvignon
Planted 1991

This is Ash Creek Vineyards’ showcase vineyard. The 4+ acre Tin Cross block contains approximately 2,200 Cabernet Sauvignon vines on 5C, certified, heat treated, clone 7 rootstock from Sonoma Grapevines. Planted May 20, 1991, everything imaginable and unimaginable was done in pursuit of the highest degree of scientifically and technologically perfect, mega-premium fruit. The efforts paid off handsomely. At 2,200 feet, this south-facing, never-before planted, gentle slope was cleared, soil amended with gypsum and 20 truck loads of grape pumice. Deep ripped 4 ways, fumigated, prayed over, laid out in 6 x 11 spacing, drip irrigated and fertigated with 2 emitters per vine 15 inches on each side of the trunk, trained up the stake and onto fruiting wires in an “S” pattern. The vines are trellised on an Open-U (Lyre) system at 42 inches above the ground, 36 inches at fruiting wire and expanding to 48 inches at the top (unheard of at 2,000+ elevation). Ash Creek maintains balanced cover crops in all blocks. The vineyards produce beautiful dark fruit and juice uniformly ripened in total sun exposure. These vines produce very intense flavors from small berries.

Block Statistics

Appellation	Alexander Valley	Elevation	2,000' Hillside
Clone	Clone #7	Shoot Thinning	Y
Rootstock	5C, Certified heat treated	Leaf Pulling	Y
Varietal	Cabernet Sauvignon	Crop Thinning	Y
Trellis System	Open-U (Lyre)	Soils	Suther Loam
Irrigation Regimen	Drip, Fertigated	Year Planted	1991
Winemaker Tasting Notes	"… Big, complete wines, full, big layered with deep toast and fruit …" "… Black current, herb, coffee, silky mouthfeel, interesting tannins …"
Medals / Ratings	Imagery Ash Creek Vineyards Cabernet - Gold Medals for - 97 and 99

Year	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000
Yield (Tons)	11.3	12.1	17.8	11.3	19	9.74	17.9	11.3
Brix	24.4º	23.4º	23.8º	24.5º	24.5º	24.3º	23.6º	24.5º
TA	0.71 g/100 ml	0.83 g/100 ml	0.68 g/100 ml	0.65 g/100 ml	0.72 g/100 ml	0.73 g/100 ml	0.66 g/100 ml	0.74 g/100 ml
pH	3.23	3.33	3.44	3.90	3.38	3.56	3.59	3.53
Winery	Kendall-Jackson	Kendall-Jackson	Benziger Reserve	Benziger Reserve	Imagery Vineyard Designated	Imagery Vineyard Designated	Imagery Vineyard Designated	Imagery Vineyard Designated
Year	2001	2002	2003	2004	*2005*
Yield (Tons)	18.9	16.5	13.3	17.39	11.0
Brix	27.5º	25.9º	26.8º	26.0°	27.7°
TA	0.49 g/100 ml	0.54 g/100 ml	0.58 g/100 ml	0.52 g/100 ml	0.807 g/100 ml
pH	3.86	3.68	3.74	3.67	3.54
Winery	Imagery Vineyard Designated	Imagery Vineyard Designated	Imagery Vineyard Designated	Imagery Vineyard Designated	Imagery Vineyard Designated

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Ash Creek Vineyards
31617 Pine Mountain Road
Cloverdale, CA 95425 USA
Telephone: (707) 484-2707
info@ashcreekvineyards.com