N A P A V A L L E Y
The combination of Mediterranean climate, geography and geology of the Napa Valley provides the ideal growing conditions to produce distinctive and elegant styles of the noble grapes Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot.
Napa Valley is considered one of the premier wine regions in the world, the wine industry in Napa Valley came to prominence by the results of the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, where blind tastings by highly respected French wine writers compared Napa Valley wines to those of Old World wine regions Bordeaux and Burgundy, ending in the Napa Valley wines being rated as the top wines in each category.
MT VEEDER
Mount Veeder AVA is an American Viticultural Area located within the Napa Valley among the Mayacamas Mountains. The boundaries of this appellation include 25 sq mi (64.7 km2) with 1,000 acres planted on thin volcanic soil. Many vineyards are found on the steep mountain face some as steep as 30 degree. The steepness of the angle give the vineyards benefits of more direct sunlight and better drainage.
The unique sense of place, or terroir of Mount Veeder AVA produces wines that are typically powerful in structure - depending on how they are made and how the vines are tended. For example, Cabernet Sauvignon grown on the mountain commonly shows "briary" flavors, moderate to bold tannins and herbal, floral aromatics. With the increasing interest in wine in America, wines grown in sub appellation AVA's such as Mount Veeder are gaining recognition for their unique sense of terroir.
Cases produced: approximately 40,000 per vintage, about 1.3% of total Napa Valley production.
S A N T A C R U Z M O U N T A I N S
We feel that the terroir of Coast Grade Vineyard is unparalleled by any grape growing site in the world. The vineyard sits at 1238 to 1,350 feet elevation right at the fog line, roughly three miles from the Pacific Ocean. These attributes ensure that the growing season is temperate and that the grapes are slow ripening. This extended growing season leads to berries with greater intensity and allows for more terroir to be absorbed into the grapes prior to harvest. The saline essence on the palate of the wine (taste) imparted from the coastal fog as well as the redwood duff on the nose (smell), make it an incredibly site expressive wine.Aside from the elevation and coastal proximity, one of the biggest attributes that drew us to this site is the vineyard's relation to the former Cemex/Lonestar limestone quarry. The underlying limestone in the vineyard imparts an incredible minerality to the wine, reminiscent of a rocky creek bed with cold water passing over.
R U S S I A N R I V E R V A L L E Y
When inland valleys heat up, the Russian River AVA remains cool. In the growing season, warm daytime temperatures plummet when fog regularly intrudes from the Petaluma Gap to the south, and the Russian River to the west. The northern border marks the point where the fog frequently sticks around a while longer in the morning, weather that Pinot Noir and Chardonnay enjoy.
It's fitting that the Russian River Valley lies at the geographical heart of Sonoma County. This is where some of wine country's best known and most beloved varietals really earned their reputation; The appellation that set the standard for New World Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, while remaining home to sought-after old vine Zinfandel. The Russian River Valley is where the top wineries in Napa go to get their cool-climate grapes.