Coombsville

Napa Valley

Cabernet Sauvignon

Meteor Vineyard is the confluence of an extraordinary Cabernet vineyard in the southeast corner of Napa Valley, the entrepreneurial vision of internet pioneer Barry Schuler and wife Tracy, the viticulture history and expertise of Mike Wolf and the consummate winemaking talents of Bill and Dawnine Dyer.; Meteor started as a dream 35 years ago when Barry Schuler, a college student with an emerging passion for wine, first visited Napa Valley. After roaming the valley and tasting, he was struck by the burning desire to someday live in Napa, grow grapes and make wine that could take its place among the World´s greats.; At that time Napa itself was emerging as a truly World Class wine making region and winemakers Bill and Dawnine Dyer were launching their careers as the history of Napa wine was being written. Little did they know that more than three decades later they would all come together in a project centered on the fruit grown in one of Napa´s most unique pieces of land Meteor Vineyard.; Barry and his wife Tracy bought the property that is now Meteor Vineyard in 1998 and hired legendary viticulturalist Mike Wolf to assess the potential of the property. Located on a knoll in Napa Valley´s Coombsville region, Mike quickly recognized that Meteor Vineyard´s unique combination of elevation, aspect and stony, rich volcanic soil was an optimal site for 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Planted in 1999 to 3 distinct clone and rootstock combinations, it was immediately clear that the Schuler´s had found something special.; By the time the vineyard was ready for it´s first harvest, prestigious names such as Etude, Vineyard 29, Arietta, Favia and Lail Vineyards were clamoring to work in the vineyard. In addition to the above, Mike introduced the Schuler´s to Bill and Dawnine Dyer. The rest, as the cliché says, is history. One of the very interesting things about selling fruit to multiple sources is to taste the individual renditions of the vineyard. While a common thread is obvious, the minute decisions made in the winery are always pronounced. The Dyer´s focus on elegance and balance immediately struck a chord. The seeds of a 100% Meteor Vineyard bottling were planted.; In 2003 the Dyers and the Schulers decided to produce a very small quantity of 100% Meteor Vineyard wine, to discover what a singular expression of the vineyard would be. The results were so impressive that they decided to make Barry´s 35 year old dream come true. In 2004 they bottled 40 cases for friends and family. The extraordinary quality of the 2005 vintage fruit solidified the vision and became the inaugural release from the winery.

United States

California

Meteor Vineyard

Dawnine spent 25 years as Winemaker at Domaine Chandon. A staunch Californian, and always a fan of the bubbly, her tenure at Chandon was marked by the introduction of many original sparkling wines and wine styles, taking the best of both a rich tradition and a promising appellation. She was instrumental in the construction of Sodaro Winery and made their first 8 vintages. Along with Bill, Dawnine is a partner in the award winning Meteor Vineyard. She is active in the Napa Valley Vintner’s Association — and most importantly, works on Dyer Vineyard. Now both can frequently be found working in the vineyard, topping barrels and finally packing orders of Dyer Cab for shipment. Between the two they hold degrees in Philosophy, Biology, and Enology — all three come in handy from time to time.

Dawnine Dyer

Bill spent 20 years, from 1976 to 1996, with Sterling Vineyards. He started as Cellarmaster and became Winemaker in 1985. Recognizing the importance of the vineyards, he was responsible for developing their single-vineyard wines, including a Cabernet from Diamond Mountain that garnered a great deal of attention and praise in the early 1980s. Since 1996, Bill has brought his considerable talents to consulting. Miramar Torres Estate in the Russian River Valley, Sodaro Winery and Frogs’ Leap Winery in Napa Valley, as well as Church & State Winery and Burrowing Owl Vineyards in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley all have benefited from his insight and experience — as does Dyer Vineyard. In 2005 Bill and Dawnine formed a partnership with Meteor Vineyard owners, Barry and Tracy Schuler making Cabernet from their vineyard. Both vineyards are singular expressions of Cabernet Sauvignon in the best areas of Napa Valley.

Napa Valley

Meteor Vineyard

2 Wines from 1 Grape Varieties

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