The beginning of the 2019 growing season was defined by copious rainfall and late soil moisture. The long, warm summer saw very few extreme heat events, with foggy mornings setting the stage for vibrant & expressive wines. The long, relatively mild finish to the season, not without its moments of unpredictability, helped to preserve freshness and finesse in the fruit with abundant hang time teasing out great color, structure, and tannins.Yield size is slightly below average. All in all, exceptional fruit with bright acidity and ample texture produced an exceptional vintage.

The grapes came into the winery early in the morning and were gently transferred into our Pellenc de-stemmer, known as one of the most precise and gentle tools in the winemaking process. The berries were then transferred into small tanks and allowed to rest for one day prior to commencing with fermentation. Press began and we opted for a short maceration time since the small, mountain berries naturally provide ample intensity of color, tannins, and texture. The wine was then transferred to French oak barrels allowing the classic warmth of barrel aging to ensue.

The grapes for our Cabernet Sauvignon are grown in the stony, volcanic terroir atop Atlas Peak, at an elevation between 1,270 to 1,350 feet, overlooking the town of Oakville in Napa Valley

BLEND: 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot
AGING: 20 months in French oak (50% new, 50% neutral)
ALCOHOL: 14.6 %
TA 6.0 g/L
pH 3.70
CASES PRODUCED: 904

February 2018 saw abundant rains, follows by lots of sunny days in spring and early summer. Both bud break & flowering occurred a bit later in the season, but under ideal weather conditions, creating plentiful and even fruit set. Summer brought generous sun during the day and cooler marine influences, virtually uninterrupted by major heat spikes. The relatively mild summer followed by extended fall sunshine and moderate heat created near-ideal conditions for our winemaker to allow their fruit to accumulate flavor complexity with gradual increases in sugar levels. We began harvesting our Animo Vineyard on October 10th completing with our final pick date of October 20th.

The grapes came into the winery early in the morning and were gently transferred into our Pellenc de-stemmer, known as one of the most precise and gentle tools in the winemaking process. The berries were then transferred into small tanks and allowed to for one day prior to commencing with fermentation. Press began and we opted for a short maceration time since the small, mountain berries naturally provide ample intensity of color, tannins, and texture. The wine was then transferred to French oak barrels allowing the classic warmth of barrel aging to ensue.

Our vineyard, with its stony, volcanic terroir, sits atop Atlas Peak at an elevation between 1,270 to 1,350 feet and is located at the edge of a steep canyon which overlooks the town of Oakville. The site, which was purchased and planted in 1999 by the Michael Mondavi Family is predominantly comprised of Cabernet Sauvignon from the Clone Four variety grafted on 110R Rootstock.

BLEND: 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot AGING: 20 months in French oak (50% new, 50% neutral) ALCOHOL: 14.6 %; TA 6.0 g/L; pH 3.70 CASES PRODUCED: 1,067

The near-perfect 2016 growing season started early, saw ideal weather conditions in the spring, continuing throughout the summer and fall. The first significant fall rainstorm arrived on October 14th. Thanks to a relatively steady and mild July and August, and then a series of warm days at the end of the growing season, the vineyards were able to progress to perfect ripeness and expression.

The grapes came into the winery early in the morning and were gently transferred into our Pellenc de-stemmer, known as one of the most precise and gentle tools in the winemaking process. The berries were then transferred into small tanks and allowed to for one day prior to commencing with fermentation. Press began and we opted for a short maceration time since the small, mountain berries naturally provide ample intensity of color, tannins, and texture. The wine was then transferred to French oak barrels allowing the classic warmth of barrel aging to ensue.

Our vineyard, with its stony, volcanic terroir, sits atop Atlas Peak at an elevation between 1,270 to 1,350 feet and is located at the edge of a steep canyon which overlooks the town of Oakville. The site, which was purchased and planted in 1999 by the Michael Mondavi Family is predominantly comprised of Cabernet Sauvignon from the Clone Four variety grafted on 110R Rootstock.

BLEND: 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot AGING: 27 months in French oak (50% new, 50% neutral) ALCOHOL: 14.6 %; TA 6.0 g/L; pH 3.70 CASES PRODUCED: 970