Winemaker Notes
The fruit comes from the steep hillside vineyard directly behind the winery. The limiting nature of the soils in this site naturally reduces the vigor of the vines, thus producing a meager crop of small, black berries of incredible concentration. The wine was drained off skins after only five days and allowed to complete fermentation in new American oak barrels. Two months later the wine was racked and returned to 25% new French oak barrels and the balance going to two, three and four year-old barrels for maturation.
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.