Clif Family Winery The Climber Limited Release 2009
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Winemaker Notes
The grapes for our 2009 Climber Limited Release are sourced from several vineyards in the Napa Valley: the Merlot from Oak Knoll District, the Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot from Oakville and the Cabernet Franc from Calistoga.
The wine was aged in a blend of new and used French Oak barrels for 20 months.
Gary Erickson and Kit Crawford began their love of food and wine with cycling adventures through Italy where long days of cycling would end in leisurely evenings of good wine, food and hospitality. As great lovers of food, wine and adventure, Gary and Kit sought to bring these memorable experiences to their Napa Valley home.
Today, Clif Family winemaker, Laura Barret, makes wines from grapes grown on our Howell Mountain estate and from local Napa Valley and Mendocino growers while Executive Chef John McConnell has created a selection of artisan food products that pair perfectly with our wines. At our Napa Valley Tasting Room and Bruschetteria Food Truck, our wine and food are paired to create exciting tasting experiences.
With a focus on sustainability, Clif Family wines are primarily made from organically grown grapes or sourced from growers with a focus on practices that care for the earth. Our Howell Mountain farm and vineyards are CCOF certified organic and our artisan food products are made from organic ingredients.
“We’re working to run a different kind of company: The kind of place we’d want to work, that makes the kind of food we’d like to eat, and that strives for a healthier, more sustainable world – the kind of world we’d like to pass on to our children.”- KIT CRAWFORD
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.