Winemaker Notes
TwoTone Farm is the first screw cap only line to be introduced by a major Napa Valley wine company. The line is a collaboration between two assistant winemakers at Beringer, they wanted to make the kind of wines that they could drink everyday. Many winemakers now agree that screw caps are better than corks at preserving a wine’s freshness, but the jury is still out on whether screw caps are appropriate for wines destined for prolonged aging. We believe that screw caps have a pretty viable future, and there is more and more trade and consumer acceptance of closure. But each winery should decide for itself which closure to use. We believe there’s room for all closures—cork and its alternatives.
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.