Generous aromatics with a savory variety of cola, walnut, earth, floral and fennel notes. Robust flavors framed by “grippy” tannins. The tannins stay present on a long, balanced finished. Aaron Pott often uses French phrases when describing subtle nuances in wine – he called the tannins on the finish, “enrober,” meaning tannins-in-robes…firm yet enveloped in lush, silky texture.

Vineyard:                           
Estate vineyard on Napa Valley floor on Pratt Avenue in the St. Helena AVA. Sympa is grown on the south parcel, “Block 1,” on a ribbon of gravel that is an ancient river bed with deep, light soils that stress the vines into low fruit production. The vines are cane pruned and hand-tended to yield two clusters per shoot. The parcel yields two tons per acre. Cover crops are primarily legumes. Irrigation is light and determined by monitoring vine sap flow throughout the season. The See clone of Cabernet Sauvignon planted here is from Joseph Phelps’ Backus Vineyard bud wood. Our estate vineyard is managed by Elizabeth Tangney and our own small crew, with consulting from winemaker Aaron Pott and vineyard guru, Jim Barbour.

Winemaking:                     
Hand-picked fruit, double sorted to berry level
Cold soak before fermentation, 5 days

Barrel Aging:                     
22 months in French Oak barrels: Bossuet, Darnajou, Orion