Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All Vintages
Capture Wines represents the marriage of time-honored Bordeaux winemaking with the intense fruit character of our organically farmed mountain estate, Tin Cross Vineyards, nearly 2,500 feet above the Alexander Valley floor in Sonoma County. Renowned winemaking team May-Britt and Denis Malbec, formerly of Chateau Latour in Bordeaux, create wines to bring out the rich personality of the terroir. The resulting wines are elegant expressions of depth, nuance and longevity.
Sam Teakle joined the Captûre winemaking team in 2015. Sam is tasked with finding and harnessing some of the best vineyards while creating wines that showcase the nuances of mountain Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon from the rugged Mayacamas Mountain Range. Even before joining Capture he has been drawn to mountain vineyards and exploring the frontier of winemaking in these remote regions
Nearly a northern extension of Napa Valley, Alexander Valley starts just north of the small, Knights Valley, and is just a few minutes drive from the Napa town of Calistoga. It is Sonoma County’s hottest AVA. But the Russian River, which runs through the valley, creates cooler pockets and its soft, alluvial soil is ideal for grape growing, especially Cabernet Sauvignon. In fact, some believe that Alexander Valley Cabernets truly rival the best from Napa Valley and many of the heavy-hitter producers have largely invested here.
In addition to Cabernet Sauvignon, which makes up over 50% of plantings, Merlot and old vine Zinfandel thrive here. Ample, fleshy Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc dominate white wine production. Some old-vine plantings of Grenache have also been discovered and more recent experiments with Sangiovese and Barbera show great promise.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.