Winemaker Notes
For over 100 years, Cabernet Sauvignon has been the grape of choice in Rutherford - Niebaum, Tchelistcheff, and Daniel all established that fact. However, during that time, another red grape began to slowly gain fame in Rutherford, albeit on a much smaller stage. Petite sirah was grown alongside the zinfandels of the day by many an old time grower and it was known to thrive in the "dust."
During the initial planting of the Galleron Vineyard in 1998, Frank Leeds, our vineyard guru, gave his uncle and pioneering grape grower, Roy Chavez, a tour. When Roy saw the gravelly soils that stretch across the south side, he intuitively uttered, "You should put some Pets on that gravel." And so we did.There are some who believe that every patch of soil in the Napa Valley can be matched to a particular varietal and yield extraordinary results. We can't say that for sure, but when it comes to this little Petite sirah, we feel we have found a match made in heaven.
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.