Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All VintagesRating: 91+
Addendum is a small, hands-on Napa winemaking endeavor from the seasoned Fess Parker family winemaking team. A standalone label, Addendum represents a unique opportunity for this well-established Santa Barbara County winery to make Bordeaux varietal wines, work side-by-side with committed Napa growers, and carry on the tradition of exploration and pioneering adventure embodied by Fess himself.
The Addendum approach to winemaking begins with curiosity and a profound respect for the rhythms of the vineyard. All vineyards chosen for the Addendum portfolio begin with a meticulous consideration of soil. It is the Addendum philosophy that few factors are more important in winemaking than the farming of appropriately matched varieties and soils. Addendum’s exceptional wines are crafted solely from top Napa sites that can reveal distinctive Cabernet characteristics.
Just northeast of Napa city, Atlas Peak boasts some of Napa Valley’s highest elevation vineyards. Here the intense sunlight coupled with cool, nighttime temperatures produce grapes that are perfectly ripe, balanced and concentrated. The appellation is rich in volcanic soils and excels in the production of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
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.