Producers - Cab Flashcards
Araujo ‘Eiesle Vineyard’
Cabernet Sauvgnon
Altagracia
Syrah
Calistoga - breezes from Chalk Hill gap. 38acre. Warm, cobblestones. Intensity and concentration. 1971 - First vintage (before, fruit sold to others, such as J Phelps).
Now owned by Latour (Francois Pinault) - Changed to Eiesle in 2013. Original owners (Miton & Barbara - 1969) - Then Bart & Daphne Araujo (1990-2013).
Cabernet Sauvignon -
2012- 100% CS (Demeter)
2011 - Touch of CF / NFO - 18m
2005 - 91 CS, 5 CF, 2 PV, 2 M - 26 mo NFO (wet spring)
2004 - 94 CS, 3 CF, 3, PV - 26 mo NFO
1994 - 93 CS, 4 CF, 3PV 75% NFO 22mo
Altagracia - 2011 (88% CS, 8% M, 4% PV - 19 Mo NFO)
Abreu
Madrona Ranch
2005
David Abreu, a third-generation rancher.
In 1980, David formed David Abreu Vineyard Management, working with pioneering winemaker Richard Forman to manage ranching operations at Inglenook Winery. Abreu and Forman became friends and traveled frequently to Bordeaux, where they observed French winemaking operations. They brought back French rootstock, trellis designs, and Bordelais planting and farming techniques.
First vintage 1986.
Madrona Ranch - moxed soils - tuffeau and dark clay.
Cattle goats, pigs, chickens- honeybees! All on the vineyard!
In 1999 - 500 cases.
Arkenstone
NVD
Obsidian
Western shoulder of Howell Mountain.
13 acres. 22 blocks planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Syrah. We go from 1,400 feet of elevation to 1,650 feet, with a mix of steep hillside and rolling level vineyard.
“ARKENSTONE” a mythical stone found under a mountain by Thorin’s Gfather (from Tolken)… “Heart of the Mountain” or “King’s Jewel”
NVD - This is a classic Cabernet Sauvignon with some Mountain Sass. Sourced from vineyards at around 1600 feet of elevation in the Eastern Napa Mountains, this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Obsidain - CS, CF, M, PV, Mal - Howell MT 22 Mo FO - half by plot, then blended and aged another 11mo - 1 yr additional in bottle at winery.
Bond
Pluribus
Quella
Vecina
Melbury
BILL HARLAN. Bob Levey - winemaker. Vaca and Mayacamas mountain ranges
Bond doesnt own the vineyards but has a partnership with each.
Pluribus means ‘many’ in Latin and references all the multiple components and facets that go into making wine. This vineyard is east facing with volcanic well eroded soils located at an elevation of about 1100 feet in the Spring Mountain District.
Quella is a German word for aquifers or spring water – which perfectly ties into this specific vineyard location; geographically it sits in an area known as Spring Valley - on an uplifted river bed – nearby soils have eroded down over millions of years leaving plenty of alluvial cobble as well as white volcanic ash along with reddish volcanic soils underneath. This is the newest entry into the BOND portfolio with a first vintage dating back to 2006.
Vecina which means ‘neighbor’ in Spanish is appropriately named; it is located just south east of the BOND property on the southern edge of the Oakville appellation. This vineyard sits on the edge of the Mayacamas mountains and is east facing. The soils here are generally alluvial.
Melbury - named after a historic district in London – where the owners of this vineyard live for much of the year. The vineyard is located opposite to Pritchard Hill not far from Lake Hennessy. The vineyard is notable for being on the hillside yet it’s soils are generally a compressed clay.
Cardinale
In 1982, Jess Jackson, proprietor of Kendall-Jackson Winery, decided to produce a world-class red Meritage wine. The name comes from the original Cardinale vineyard site at Kendall-Jackson’s Lakeport winery. The wine is made predominantly of Cabernet Sauvignon blended with small amounts of Merlot and, in certain years, Cabernet Franc. Grapes are harvested from hillside vineyards located in both Napa Valley and Sonoma County. The wine is aged in 100% new French oak Chateau barrels to produce a forward, seamless oak character to match its intense fruit.
Like a master composer, Winemaker Christopher Carpenter layers the intricate notes - Diamond Mountain contributes dark cherry, bittersweet chocolate, and great mid-palate body. Howell Mountain delivers dark fruit flavors, an earthiness, and minerality. Spring Mountain adds red fruit characteristics, And Mount Veeder bestows notes of blue fruit and minerality, along with the wine’s structure.
Chappellet
Pritchard Hill - 1997
founded by Donn and Molly Chappellet (from Beverly Hills - wanted country life!) in 1967, For more than four decades. Steep, rocky slopes of Pritchard Hill. (Chenin Blanc was original focus!)
One of the first wineries to pioneer high-elevation hillside planting, few remaining great family-owned Napa Valley wineries, Chappellet Vineyard and Winery has influenced generations of vintners.
Inspired by the notion that Bacchus loves the hills, Donn and Molly followed the advice of legendary winemaker André Tchelistcheff and settled on the rocky eastern slopes of the Napa Valley.
Triangle Symbol is the winery from above.p
Château Montelena
Chateau Montelena was founded in 1882 by Alfred Tubbs. The renaissance of the winery, under the leadership of James Barrett, began in 1972 with the replanting of the Estate vineyard and the establishment of the Chateau Montelena philosophy: make the best, period. Today the tradition continues. Jim Barrett’s son, Bo, winemaker at Chateau Montelena beginning in 1982, is now its Master Winemaker. After more than three decades of experience with the same vineyards and varieties, the Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and Napa Valley Chardonnay are recognized as world-class.
Colgin
‘IX Estate’
‘Tychson Hill Vineyard’
Pritchard Hill - view of Lake Hennessey.
Ann &Her husband met at an Henri Jayer Dinner.
Ann Colgin is the heart of Colgin Cellars, a true renaissance woman - An avid art collector and dedicated philanthropist,
1992 with a vision of making the finest wines from exceptional hillside vineyards in St. Helena
David Abreu is the vineyard manager.
‘IX Estate’
The IX Estate Vineyard is a 20-acre vineyard carved out of a magnificent 125-acre parcel that varies in slope from gentle to steep, with elevations ranging from 1150-1350 feet above sea level. Located high above Lake Hennesey on a secluded mountaintop in the Pritchard Hill area of St. Helena - volcanic soils
Syrah - low yielding clonal selections originating in the Cote-Rotie and Hermitage
‘Tychson Hill Vineyard’ - The vineyard was originally planted in 1881 by Josephine Tychson, the first female vintner in Napa Valley. Though the vines were removed during prohibition and the land broken up into adjoining lots, Ann Colgin has been restoring the original holdings since 1997. The property consists of approximately four acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, with several vine rows of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The signature terroir features a rocky east-facing slope containing some of the rarest volcanic soil in Napa Valley, known as Aiken Very Stony Loam, which imparts distinctive floral, earthy, ethereal notes to a wine exemplary of Colgin Cellars’ offerings.
Anakota - 2003
‘Helena Dakota Vineyard’
Knights Valley - 100% Cab
Sourced exclusively from Estate-owned Knights Valley vineyards, Anakota is a collection of single vineyard, single varietal Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon wines that exemplify the rustic elegance and spirit of Sonoma County’s Mount St. Helena
Dalla Valle
Dalla Valle
Maya
In 1983, Gustav and Naoko Dalla Valle began planting vines on the hillside of Oakville, overlooking Napa valley.
Naoko - from sake making family in japan
Gustav passed away in 1995 and Naoko Dalla Valle continues the legacy of Dalla Valle wines. Dalla Valle Vineyards produces three wines: Maya (55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Cabernet Franc), Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and Pietre Rosse (100% Sangiovese).
winemaker: Andy Erickson (of screaming eagle)
consultant - Michel Rolland (bdx)
Diamond Creek
Volcanic Hill
Red Rock Terrace
Gravelly Meadow
Diamond Mtn.
Diamond Creek, California’s first “Cabernet only” estate vineyard, was established in 1968. Visionary pioneer, Al Brounstein, defied modern convention and planted Bordeaux varietals on secluded Diamond Mountain. The three distinct soil types on theis 20-acre property produce different single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons. Light ash soild of Volcanic Hill is in sharp contrast to the iron-rich Red Rock Terrace and the pebbly Gravelly Meadow.
Mayacamas
2009 1998 1997 1995 1991 1988
Mayacamas Vineyards is a wine estate located in the Mayacamas Mountains that divide the Napa and Sonoma valleys.
The winery was built in 1889[3] by John Henry Fisher a German immigrant who went bankrupt in the early 1900s. It then fell into disuse for several years although bootleggers are said to have made wine in the old stone cellar during the early years of the Prohibition.
British chemist Jack Taylor and his wife Mary bought the property in 1941, and the estate received its current name.
In 1968 the winery was bought by Robert (bob) Travers and his wife Elinor.
Current winemaker - Andy Erickson (previously screaming eagle)
**Tasting room burnt in 2017 fires.
Ridge
Monte Bello 1999 1997 1996 1995 1994 1992 'Monte Bello - Steep Terrases'
Santa Cruz
Regions of Production: Santa Cruz Mountains AVA (Monte Bello Estate) and Sonoma County
Winery Locations: Santa Cruz (Monte Bello Estate) and Healdsburg (Lytton Springs Estate)
Year Established: 1962
Summary: The current Ridge Monte Bello Estate lies at 2,300 ft. elevation, some 15 miles from the Pacific Ocean, and comprises four separate parcels: Perrone, Torre, Klein, and Rousten. The original “Monte Bello Winery” was founded by Osea Perrone, a San Francisco doctor who purchased his land along Santa Cruz Mountains’ Monte Bello Ridge in 1885, and produced his first vintage in 1892. Pierre Klein, John Torre, and Charles Rousten acquired neighboring ranches in 1888, 1890, and 1903, respectively. Each of them produced wine during the early years of the 20th century, but the vineyards were mostly abandoned during the Prohibition era. In the 1940s, William Short purchased the Torre property, and in 1949 planted Monte Bello’s first Cabernet Sauvignon vines–four acres of the original 1949 old vines survive today. Short sold his fruit to the now-defunct Gemello Winery in Mountain View, and was bought out by three Stanford scientists in 1959. In 1962, they formed a partnership as Ridge Vineyards, and released their first commercial vintage of Monte Bello Cabernet and Chardonnay with the help of winemaker Dave Bennion. By 1968 Ridge had acquired the Perrone Ranch and its 19th-century stone winery. In 1969 the partners hired winemaker Paul Draper, who would bring international recognition to Ridge’s wines over the next four decades. Today, Ridge has long-term lease agreements with the current owners of the Klein (renamed “Jimsomare”) and Rousten parcels.
Ridge’s most famous, iconic bottling is the Monte Bello, a graceful and age-worthy Cabernet-based blend, but the producer is really a Zinfandel house. In 1991 Ridge purchased the Lytton Springs Winery and vineyards in Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley AVA, and today produces a number of vineyard-designate Zinfandel wines, plus a range of other whites and reds. Paul Draper remains as CEO and presides over winemaking, but separate winemakers have assumed most day-to-day responsibilities at both the original Monte Bello Estate and the Lytton Springs property. In 1986, Ridge was purchased by a Japanese pharmaceutical tycoon. The estate’s vineyards, leased and owned, are farmed sustainably; almost 200 acres are certified as organically farmed.
Vineyard Holdings:
Monte Bello Estate: approximately 125 acres Torre: 34 acres Perrone: 19 acres Klein: 57 acres Rousten: 26.5 acres Lytton Springs Estate: 306 acres Average Total Production:
Top Cabernet Sauvignon Wines Produced:
Monte Bello (100% Cabernet Sauvignon through the 1974 vintage, now a Cabernet-dominant Bordeaux blend)
Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (approximately 80% Cabernet Sauvignon)
Klein Cabernet Sauvignon (100% Cabernet Sauvignon)
Inaugural Vintages:
Monte Bello: 1962
Monte Bello (Chardonnay): 1962 (vintages from 1985-1998 were not produced under this designation)
Geyserville (Zinfandel-based blend): 1966
Lytton Springs Zinfandel: 1975
York Creek (Napa Valley AVA) Zinfandel: 1975
Jimsomare Cabernet Sauvignon: 1978 (discontinued after the 1997 vintage)
Estate Cabernet Sauvignon: 2008 (previously released as “Santa Cruz Mountains”)
Klein Cabernet Sauvignon: 2010
Style / Vinification Techniques: Grapes for Ridge’s Monte Bello red are typically harvested at under 25° Brix, and are fermented with ambient yeasts. The wines undergo a short maceration and age for 18 months in 96% American oak and 4% French oak–all new.
Mayacamas
2009 1998 1997 1995 1991 1988
Mayacamas Vineyards is a wine estate located in the Mayacamas Mountains that divide the Napa and Sonoma valleys.
The winery was built in 1889 by John Henry Fisher a German immigrant who went bankrupt in the early 1900s. It then fell into disuse for several years although bootleggers are said to have made wine in the old stone cellar during the early years of the Prohibition.
British chemist Jack Taylor and his wife Mary bought the property in 1941, and the estate received its current name.
In 1968 the winery was bought by Robert Travers and his wife Elinor.
*** Bought in 2017??!?! CHARLES BANKS - jailed…?
**Tasting room burnt in 2017 fires.
Dunn Vineyards
Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon (wax seal): 100% estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (foil seal): 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, 85% estate fruit, 15% valley floor fruit
Region of Production: Howell Mountain AVA, Napa Valley
Year Established: 1979
Summary: Former Caymus winemaker Randy Dunn and wife Lori purchased their estate property near Angwin on Howell Mountain in 1978, and harvested small quantities of Cabernet Sauvignon in 1979 and 1980. In 1981, the winery produced its first official vintage of Howell Mountain Cabernet, Dunn was an instrumental figure in the development of the Howell Mountain AVA–defined by elevation, the AVA begins at 1,400 ft. above sea level, the fog line. Dunn’s vineyards reach 2,100 ft. in elevation. Today, Michael and Kristina Dunn, Randy’s children, are steadily assuming control of the family’s property.
Vineyard Holdings: 30 acres
Average Total Production: 4,000-5,000 cases
