Ashes & Diamonds

Ashes & Diamonds’ 2018 Blanc is a singular wine in many respects. It’s the only white wine produced in our portfolio, but what truly makes this wine is its focus on age. The age of a nearly century-old Sémillon vineyard (Yount Mill) in Yountville for depth and complexity, framed by a bright, zesty Sauvignon Blanc from Ryan’s Vineyard in Oak Knoll. Aged 12 months in-barrel, then an additional 24 months in-bottle, Ashes & Diamonds’ Blanc finally reveals itself as the wine it was meant to be: age-worthy, complex, yet utterly refreshing.

ASHES & DIAMONDS’ Mountain Cuvée “Saffron Vineyard” comes from Lisa Chu’s organically farmed Mt. Veeder site, located high above the fog inversion line at an altitude of 1,500 feet, where daytime temperatures are often 15 degrees cooler than on the valley floor. the deep-rooted Merlot and Cabernet Franc grapevines were planted in 2000 in thin soils comprised of uplifted marine sediment and fractured shale. Soils with naturally low fertility and no irrigation make for naturally balanced grapevines with low yields and small berries. Once at the winery, the grapes are cold-soaked until native fermentation begins. The resulting wine is bouncy and outgoing, with explosive red fruit aromas like biting into a ripe, juicy plum, and fine, focused tannins.

ASHES & DIAMONDS’ Blanc is a fully ripe and textured, yet bright, zesty and supremely age-worthy blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon from three carefully-chosen vineyards in Napa Valley’s Oak Knoll District and Yountville.

ASHES & DIAMONDS’ Mountain Cuvée “Bates Ranch” is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc from the historic, four-generation-old Bates Ranch near Mount Madonna, in the southern end of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The Cabernet Sauvignon grows at a peak altitude of 2,100 feet and an extreme southeast slope of 30%. A few hundred feet below, the old-vine Cabernet Franc, planted in 1972, is dry farmed in well-drained silt soils with inclusions of decomposed, iron-rich volcanic magma pushing up from below the earth. The picks of the two vineyards are staggered and then the grapes are co-fermented by native yeasts. The resulting wine is plush yet primal, with enveloping tannins and relentless length, dark fruit and the unmistakable vibrancy of dry-farmed old vines.

ASHES & DIAMONDS’ Mountain Cuvée “Bates Ranch” is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc from the historic, four-generation-old Bates Ranch near Mount Madonna, in the southern end of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The Cabernet Sauvignon grows at a peak altitude of 2,100 feet and an extreme southeast slope of 30%. A few hundred feet below, the old-vine Cabernet Franc, planted in 1972, is dry farmed in well-drained silt soils with inclusions of decomposed, iron-rich volcanic magma pushing up from below the earth. The picks of the two vineyards are staggered and then the grapes are co-fermented by native yeasts. The resulting wine is plush yet primal, with enveloping tannins and relentless length, dark fruit and the unmistakable vibrancy of dry-farmed old vines.

Red Hen Vineyard is another of Bart and Daphne Araujo’s biodynamically farmed sites. The property sits in the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley, located in the foothills of the Mayacamas Mountains, across Highway 29 from A&D Vineyard. With well-draining gravel and cobblestones suspended in alluvial silt and clay, the soil here acts like a sponge, naturally pulling rainwater down from the mountains and requiring little to no irrigation. It also encourages fine tannins and finesse in the resulting wines. Red Hen’s Cabernets have a quiet power, poise and impressive length with silky, weightless tannins that are the hallmark of this benchland site.