Winemaker Notes
The wines Nick and Yolyn Goldschmidt produce are all single vineyard, handcrafted, small production, artisan wines.
The Trig Point Vineyard sits on a bench land site in the Alexander Valley facing southeast in beautiful bowl. This unique topography protects the vineyard from the wind. The early morning fog and deep gravelly loam soils are ideal for growing Cabernet Sauvignon. Nick has worked with this vineyard many years, as it was the predominate vineyard for the Simi Cabernet Reserve program from 1980 - 1997. Indeed, one of the great uncompromising vineyards of the Alexander Valley and certainly a "trig point" for growing classy Bordeaux varietals.
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.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.