VINEYARD

The Newtons purchased the Spring Mountain property in 1977. Working with almost 500 acres of mountainous and heavily forested terrain, they planted a 73-acre vineyard and built our winery at the site. We have developed an intimate working knowledge of the land over the years. An extensive replanting program has allowed us to fully delve into the property’s veritable treasure trove of winegrowing potential. The mature vineyard now features red Bordeaux varieties exclusively, and ranges in altitude from 500 to 1600 feet. It is characterized by a complex combination of both sedimentary and volcanic soils—as well as diverse, moderately fertile, and well-drained conditions perfectly suited for Cabernet Sauvignon. The wines are deeply complex with aromatic high notes that complement the richly textured and layered palate.

VINTAGE CONDITIONS

The 2018 vintage is one to remember. A wet and stormy February was followed by lots of filtered light in spring and early summer. Albeit later than usual, bud break and flowering occurred under ideal weather conditions, creating plentiful and even fruit set. The relatively mild summer followed by extended fall sunshine and moderate heat created near-ideal conditions to allow fruit to accumulate flavor complexity with gradual increases in sugar levels. We finished harvesting our last block of Cabernet Sauvignon of November 1st.

VINIFICATION

Preceding any fermentation, a rigorous selection process of bunch sorting by hand, destemming, and subsequent optical sorting occur to make sure that we select only berries of optimal ripeness. This single vineyard wine was sourced from blocks 704, 728, 752, 758, and 780—the most refined and expressive Cabernet parcels from our Spring Mountain estate. Each block was vinified separately in small batches to enhance skin contact and gently extract the phenolics. After pressing, the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in French-oak barrels and then ages for 18 months, 65% new oak, before being bottled unfiltered.