Winemaker Notes
Before Scribe even had a name, they knew this remote site atop Atlas Peak in southern Napa Valley was where they wanted to grow Cabernet Sauvignon. The cold, bright mornings give way to sunny afternoons, but the vines are spared from the sun's heat by gentle breezes coming off the San Pablo Bay. The soils here are dominated by red volcanic material with lots of flat rock, providing exceptional drainage. Yields are small and the fruit is intense and expressive, tasting of the mountain's stony red earth and dense thickets of California chaparral. They are gentle in the cellar to preserve this special terroir, restraining the use of new oak, fermenting with native yeast and bottling the wine unfined and unfiltered. It is Napa mountainside Cabernet through the Scribe lens, still tasting of its place above the fog line – bright, wild and pure.
One of the most prestigious wines of the world capable of great power and grace, Napa Valley Cabernet is a leading force in the world of fine, famous, collectible red wine. Today the Napa Valley and Cabernet Sauvignon are so intrinsically linked that it is difficult to discuss one without the other. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that this marriage came to light; sudden international recognition rained upon Napa with the victory of the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1976 Judgement of Paris.
Cabernet Sauvignon undoubtedly dominates Napa Valley today, covering half of the land under vine, commanding the highest prices per ton and earning the most critical acclaim. Cabernet Sauvignon’s structure, acidity, capacity to thrive in multiple environs and ability to express nuances of vintage make it perfect for Napa Valley where incredible soil and geographical diversity are found and the climate is perfect for grape growing. Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that express specific characteristics based on situation, slope and soil—as a perfect example, Rutherford’s famous dust or Stags Leap District's tart cherry flavors.