VINEYARD

Established more than 40 years ago, our Yountville property is nestled on the lower slopes and foothills of the Mayacamas Mountains in the heart of the Napa Valley region. This celebrated site features both alluvial valley floors and rocky foothills, and has a predominately eastern aspect with altitudes ranging between 150 and 350 feet. The local climate is moderated by heavy fogs that linger until late morning, providing a cooling influence as they stretch south towards San Pablo Bay. The wines are classic Napa Cabernet Sauvignons with rich and bold dark chocolate flavors and silky, mouth-filling structure.

VINTAGE CONDITIONS

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 the three blocks on the rocky hillside: 383, 385, and 386, with an average vine age of 20 years. 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.