Cliff Lede Vineyards

The Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon in this blend are from our Twin Peaks estate vineyard, while the Cabernet Franc hails from acclaimed viticulturist David Abreu’s Madrona Ranch. The vineyards are farmed with meticulous attention to detail, maintaining yields at sparse levels—ranging from two to three tons per acre. The wine is composed of just a few of our best lots from these most cherished sites.

The inky dark 2018 Howell Mountain’s aromas and flavors echo its lofty terroir with an extravagant display of pine forest floor, bay laurel leaf, and California buckeye flower fragrance.

The fruit was sourced from the hillside terraces of our Poetry Vineyard, our Twin Peaks Vineyard estate surrounding the winery, and a few neighboring vineyards in the Stags Leap District. The wine is composed of small lots from our best blocks, representing a diverse range of carefully selected clones and rootstocks. From Poetry’s exposed, rocky terraces boasting volcanic origins, to the ancient riverbed alluvial soils of Twin Peaks, the breadth of contributing sites translates into a wine of impressive complexity.

Songbook is sourced from two of acclaimed viticulturist David Abreu’s personally-farmed properties: Thorevilos Vineyard, situated between the St. Helena and Howell Mountain AVAs, and Madrona Ranch, nestled in the foothills of the Mayacamas mountain range. These vineyards produce grapes of exceptional character resulting from proprietary clones, extremely low yields, and meticulous farming. The result is a winemaker’s dream.

Situated on the western Oakville bench, the celebrated Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard has gravelly loam soils with high mineral content derived from sedimentary deposits of the volcanic Mayacamas Mountains and the alluvial fan of the Napa River. The vineyard has low organic matter content and thorough drainage, which devigorates the vines and produces small berries that are ideal for wines with intense concentration. The site is warm and sunny throughout the day, but cooled by late afternoon breezes, producing ripe Cabernet Sauvignon with lovely acidity. The blocks that make up our blend represent a diverse array of the Beckstoffer To Kalon terroir and clonal selection, creating a unique and extraordinary wine from this critically praised site.