Terra Valentine The Crown Jewel Cabernet Sauvignon (Premiere Napa Auction) 2010
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Winemaker Notes
2012 Auction Lot #55: Only 5 cases produced
The Wurtele Vineyard crown is studded with rare jewels. These Clone 7 Cabernet Sauvignon jewels grow in nearly pure rock and rarely do they get much larger than a 3-carat sapphire. They wrap 360 degrees around the top of the volcanic knoll at 1,000 feet above the valley floor in the Spring Mountain District. These jewels form the backbone of our estate blends and we have selected the finest jewel from the 2010 vintage to offer exclusively for the Premiere Napa Valley bottling. Truly a wine fit for royalty!
Aging Process: 22 months in French Oak
Wine Facts
- Wine is unfiltered
- Single vineyard wine
- Sustainably produced
- Wine is 100% estate grown and bottled
Terra Valentine sources from Spring Mountain whose varied terrain shines through in the robust yet balanced style of the wines–exhibiting the true essence of the Spring Mountain District. While mountain viticulture presents its challenges, for Terra Valentine, it comes down to hand-tending the vines to get the most out of the diverse soil types and ripening patterns that the mountain bears. The reward–wines ripe with intense flavor and color.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
Above the town of St. Helena on the eastern slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains sits the Spring Mountain District.
A dynamic region, its vineyards, cut by numerous springs and streams, vary in elevation, slope and aspect. Soils differ throughout with over 20 distinct types inside of the 8,600 acres that define the appellation. Within that area, only about 1,000 are planted to vineyards. Predominantly farmed by small, independent producers, the region currently has just over 30 wineries.
During the growing season, late afternoon Pacific Ocean breezes reach the Spring Mountain vineyards, which sit at between 400 and 1,200 feet. Daytime temperatures during mid summer and early fall remain slightly cooler than those of the valley floor.
Spring Mountain soils—volcanic matter and sedimentary rock—create intense but balanced reds with lush and delicate tannins. The area excels with Bordeaux varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot and in some cooler spots, Chardonnay.