Cabernet Sauvignon
Carrefour Vineyard
Napa Valley, CoombsvilleCarrefour is located in Coombsville, an area that has developed a well-deserved reputation for growing cooler climate Cabernet Sauvignon in Napa Valley. The moderate temperatures lengthen the growing season to produce wines with evolved tannins and the well-integrated classic herbaciousness notes associated with Cabernet. The 18-acre site is primarily planted to clone 337 and features well-drained volcanic soils.
Coombsville Vineyard
Napa Valley, CoombsvilleEast of the town of Napa, Coombsville Vineyard is cooled by the fog and breezes blowing off San Pablo Bay. The 65-acre site is planted to Bordeaux varietals on gently sloping terrain. The cooler climate allows for a nice long growing season and produces a fleshy, more opulent interpretation of the grape. Planted to clones 4 and 337 on 110R rootstock, the clusters here are smaller due to slightly distressed soils and lower precipitation totals in this section of Napa.
Fifteen Forty (1540)
Napa Valley, Howell MountainFifteen Forty Vineyard stands at an elevation of 1365 feet on the eastern slopes of Howell Mountain.Mark Neal oversees viticulture at this certified organic site planted to clone 337 of Cabernet Sauvignon.The vines sit in gravelly loam soils on terraced slopes overlooking Pope Valley.Barrel samples from the site show small berried mountain fruit bringing firmly structured tannins to the cherry and cassis flavors.
Georges III Vineyard
Napa Valley, RutherfordCabernet Sauvignon plays the starring role in Rutherford and this 300-acre site is firmly grounded in Napa Valley lore. Grapevines had been cultivated on the property since the 1800s before Beaulieu Vineyard founder, George de LaTour, replanted in 1928. Sixty years later, Andy Beckstoffer took over the location and updated with a variety of Cabernet clones better suited to the gravelly loam soils. If you seek Rutherford "dust," look no further.
Godspeed Vineyard
Napa Valley, Mt. VeederAt an elevation of some 1500 feet, near the top of Mount Veeder, sits Godspeed Vineyard. Planted primarily to Cabernet and Chardonnay, this 22-acre vineyard has steep slopes, weak soils and excellent sun exposure to create small, intense berries with lots of mountain tannins. The vines are mostly clone 8 (with some 338), planted on 110R and healthy (non-phylloxera) AXR-1 rootstock. To manage the tannins, we have the vineyard team make extra passes to remove less ripe fruit and tend to let clusters hang a bit longer than typical. This results in solidly structured and intense fruit-driven wines that will be among the longest lived that we make.
Ink Grade®
Napa Valley, Howell MountainEast of Calistoga, Ink Grade® stands atop the Vaca Range on the eastern side of Howell Mountain. The high elevation causes daytime temperatures to be cooler and evening temperatures to be slightly warmer than the Napa floor. Planted in 1990, Ink Grade® stretches across 200 acres of terraced mountainous terrain. The site, planted to a quad trellis, ekes out between 2 and 2.5 tons per acre. The iron rich red clay and decomposed volcanic ash, are poor in nutrients and have difficulty retaining water. This combination stresses the vines to produce small berries with deeply structured spicy notes and robust tannins. This is one of the more technologically advanced sites, using "stress modules" to determine ripening and enables us to do multiple picks for optimal ripeness.
Neal3
Napa Valley, St. HelenaNeal3 is owned by Mark Neal, a meticulous grower who oversees vineyard management at Ink Grade® and numerous other high-quality sites. This St. Helena vineyard sits adjacent to Hourglass Vineyard, where Bob Foley does his magic. Like its next door neighbor, Neal3 is planted to the "See" clone - an older clone of unknown origin that creates deep, structured wines. The rocky/gravelly soils are extremely well draining and produce small berries on very small clusters. This results in deeply colored wines with sturdy tannic structure.
Rafael Vineyard
Napa Valley, Oak KnollRafael Vineyard is a sloping hillside property in Oak Knoll. Being in the southern part of the valley, the temperatures are moderated by the weather patterns coming off San Pablo Bay. These cooling breezes and morning fogs help the grapes retain assertive acids that warmer growing spots can't match. The vines at Rafael are planted in porous sands and gravel, which forces the roots to work deep into the ground in search of water. This natural devigoration helps produce smaller berries with balanced concentrations of tannins and acidity.
Reverence Vineyard
Napa Valley, CoombsvilleReverence Vineyard is situated in southern Napa's Coombsville/Tulocay area. The 12+ acre vineyard sits on shallow, rocky-gravel soils and is solely focused on growing cooler climate Cabernet Sauvignon. The microclimate, influenced by the cooling breezes and fogs off San Pablo Bay, help grapes assert the classic Cabernet acid/tannin profile. Reverence Vineyard was planted to a variety of clones primarily on 110R rootstock in 2002. The meticulous sustainable farming techniques and obvious care that have gone in the property's development have us truly excited about our first harvest.
River Run Vineyard
Napa Valley, St. HelenaRiver Run is located just west of the Napa River on Zinfandel Lane. Planted in the mid-1990s, this 6-acre certified organic vineyard features gravelly soils and plenty of sun, making for intensely complex interpretations of Cabernet. Mark Neal's viticultural hand oversees farming on this meticulous property planted to clone 8. Stylistically, River Run is similar to our other St. Helena sites, with plenty of fruit characters to complement the soundly structured tannins.
Stagecoach Vineyard
Napa Valley, Pritchard HillOne of the largest and best known vineyards we source from, Stagecoach climbs between 900 and 1700 feet up the southern face of Pritchard Hill. The site is planted to a wide range of varietals and rootstocks and features several distinct microclimates. We source our Cabernet from a small, steep block near the top of the site. This section, planted to clone 341, is lower-yielding than most of the vineyard and emphasizes serious Asian spice and dried herbs on top of a core of black currant.
