Jaffe Estate Metamorphosis Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
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Two of Gary’s enduring passions come together here: a lifelong fascination with astronomy and a love for the Napa Valley that began decades ago. Drawn first by the striking beauty of the Valley and surrounding hills, it was the collaborative approach to growing wine grapes that compelled him to stay. He had never before encountered an industry in which competitors routinely helped one another succeed.
The more time he spent here, the clearer it became that Napa’s winemakers are committed to maintaining its reputation as the premiere viticultural region in the country. Collective success takes precedence over individual gain. Gary embraced the “we’re all in this together” spirit of the place, the mutual effort it takes to make some of the world’s finest wines.
Now that the Jaffes live in the Valley year-round, they are able to fully participate while giving back to the community. Pam created the popular Holiday Home Tour as a fund-raiser for the St. Helena elementary school, and both she and Gary are active in a variety of charitable organizations. Then there are the groups of local school kids who visit the observatory for up-close views of star clusters, planets and other celestial sights. The Jaffes encourage every one of them to come back as often as they like. Most do--usually with an excited parent in tow.
Pam exemplifies the ethos of both the Jaffe Estate and the larger Napa Valley. For her, this is the ideal place to raise a family, to commune joyfully with the natural world, to live life abundantly. Pam spent her young adulthood touring Asia and Africa. She lived on the retired Navy ship her documentary filmmaker father outfitted to accommodate his wife and children, along with a battery of cousins, friends, deck hands, tutors and film crew. And yet, for a woman who has traveled extensively--even to the stars--there is no better place than this patch of earth she and Gary tend as a loving legacy for their children.
Gary and Pam Jaffe had never heard of David DeSante when they found themselves singling out his wine over and over again in a blind tasting. They didn’t know about the range of experience David brought with him to the table, or that he shares their zeal for family togetherness. They just knew he was making some exceptional wines.
The Jaffes have since learned that a life-altering decision put David on the course that led him to Jaffe Estate. Midway through medical school, he was emboldened to pursue what he had come to believe was his true calling. He left Virginia for California, enrolled in the Viticulture and Enology program at UC Davis and earned his master’s degree. Robert Mondavi Winery hired him to do grape variety clonal research. He traveled and worked the harvest in Australia’s Margaret River region. He returned to Napa Valley and became winemaker at S. Anderson Vineyards, where he spent three years honing his skills. He expanded the red wine program at the vineyard--known up to that point primarily for its sparkling wines--crafting textured, age-worthy Cabernets.
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.
St. Helena is in the heart of the Napa Valley, nestled between Calistoga to the north and Rutherford on its southern border. On its western side, the Mayacamas Mountains guard it from the cooling effects of the Pacific Ocean; to its east stand the Vaca Mountains. In conjunction, these mountain ranges serve to lock in summer daytime heat. But in the evening, cool air from the San Pablo Bay funnels up through the valley, creating very chilly nights. It isn’t uncommon for temperatures to drop 50 degrees, a shift that promotes a balance of sugar ripeness and acidity in wine grapes.
St. Helena contains a plethora of different soil types in a small area, which have been enhanced over centuries by rain runoff from both mountain ranges. Its vineyards cover a variety of terrain, spreading across the bucolic valley floor and its benchlands.
These ideal topographic and climatic growing conditions easily caught the attention of early winemaking pioneers. In fact, St. Helena is the birthplace of Napa Valley’s commercial wine industry. Dr. Crane founded his cellar in 1859, David Fulton in 1860 and Charles Krug in 1861.
Today there are no less than 400 separate vineyards planted within the 12,000 acres that make up the St. Helena appellation.
Revered most for its red wines based on Bordeaux varieties, namely Cabernet Sauvignon, the St. Helena appellation is also a source of superior Syrah, Zinfandel and Sauvignon blanc.