Napa Valley

Our second effort of this winery-direct exclusive comes from the superior 2018 vintage and it is a phenomenal effort. Inspired by the rich history of Left Bank Bordeaux wine producers and their terroir driven blends, our newest wine in our growing “arsenal” of reds, flips the script on the model of Cabernet-based blending to highlight the lesser of the five Bordeaux varietals. Rich, extracted and opulent without pushing the boundaries on ripeness, this wine is consumable upon release with appropriate aeration, yet worthy of cellaring for 10+ years in ideal conditions.

In The Vineyard

Each of the varieties come from unique growing locations where the region supports optimal ripeness in the variety. Nearly equal parts Cabernet Franc and Merlot, supported by Malbec, Petite Verdot and a splash of Cabernet Sauvignon, were sourced from six key vineyard locations to produce the 2018 vintage: Kenefick Ranch Vineyard (Calistoga), Oso Vineyard (Ink Grade), Sugarloaf Mountain (SE Napa Valley), Somerston Estate (Chiles Valley), Venge’s Oakville Estate (Oakville), and Star Vineyard (Rutherford).

In the Cellar

As with all of our Bordeaux reds, the grapes were hand harvested and sent through our four-stage Pellenc sorting system then delivered via gravity to a combination of stainless steel, concrete, and open top fermenters. Fermentation was 100% native for both primary and secondary malolactic terms with extended maceration at cellar temperature for a period of 15 to 26 days before the free run juice was barreled down to 65% new French oak. Each varietal was kept separate during first year ageing, then combined to age blended for an addition five months before being bottled
unfiltered.