Robert Sinskey Point of View 2008
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Winemaker Notes
The story of how wine is made is as important as the wine itself. The craft of winegrowing begins with the care of the soil and ends as an open bottle of wine on the table.
RSV is a second generation, family-owned and operated vineyard and winery. Every vine for every wine was planted by RSV and every vineyard is certified* organic. One could say that RSV is beyond organic. Since 1991, RSV has been practicing the “whole farm” philosophy of interrelationships based on Rudolph Steiner’s 1928 lecture “Agriculture.” This approach stresses the need to heal damage done by modern, mechanized farming - tapping into the rhythms of nature, encouraging natural processes, to grow superior winegrapes that require little but care to craft into expressive, vibrant and living wines.
RSV approaches the cellar as purists (with the same winemaker, Jeff Virnig, for over twenty-five years) to craft wines that are true and pure. The guiding principle that “wine is not an athletic event” has allowed the wines of RSV to stay true to vineyard and variety. Elegance over brawn has always been the house style and RSV does not submit wine for review by score-centric critics; because to taste wine in a competitive atmosphere, without food on the table, encourages wines that shout, ignoring subtle wines of balance, finesse and elegance... the attributes that define the fine wines of RSV.
*RSV’s vineyards are certified by C.C.O.F. - California Certified Organic Farmers. Due to the fee structure of Demeter USA, RSV no longer uses the trademarked words “Demeter” or “Biodynamic” as of the 2012 vintage - no matter, RSV has not changed farming philosophy
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.