Growing Conditions

2001, now regarded as an excellent vintage for Napa cabernet, had winemakers nervous in the early going. A warm March was followed by freezing temperatures in April and then record highs in May. The weather stabilized in summer, however, giving the grapes a chance to ripen in mild and consistent temperatures from July through the harvest.

The combination of early thinning, a long, mild run-up to the harvest, a low yield of 1.87 tons/acre, and the warm microclimate of the Tulocay region (now the Coombsville AVA) has made our inaugural vintage a muscular and extracted wine.