Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All Vintages
Cervantes Family Vineyards is a 1,100 Acre Ranch in the far eastern reaches of Napa Valley last frontier, marks the highest profile project where winemaker Andy Erickson (Favia, Dalla Valle, Mayacamas, Arietta, and formerly of Screaming Eagle, Harlan and Staglin) and Xavier Cervantes Family are growing a text book Napa Valley hill side wines. Where wild deer and bears still roam, giving the feeling of an uncharted feral frontier to these elegant and polish wines. Cervantes' estate marks the highest-profile project yet to bottle an estate Pope Valley wine made at a Pope Valley winery. This is a singular dream to realize the full possibility of the unsung terroir of Pope Valley and finally giving justice to one of Napa's great landscapes.
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.