100% Cabernet Sauvignon (Ellman Estate Vineyard)

Each year we produce a small production of Cabernet Sauvignon that we feel captures the spirit of our estate vineyard at the base of Atlas Peak.  These eroded volcanic soils yield wines that are very dark in color, intensely aromatic, varietally expressive, and loaded with soft tannins.  Every vintage, a certain part of the vineyard speaks to us, its wine standing out for its purity, richness, and balance—a stand-alone expression of our site.

2022 was a warm, dry growing season, forcing the vines to reach deep to find needed water and nutrients.  Our vineyard, then in its twenty-fifth year, was up to the task.  These mature vines navigated the season almost on auto-pilot, setting a small but concentrated crop, which developed steadily and ripened slowly and fully.  All of the vineyard blocks performed well.  However, as we’ve seen over many vintages, the vines in the heart of the vineyard, where an ancient, underground creek still trickles in the summer, yielded wines with compelling structure, depth, aromatics, and concentration.  A barrel selection of the wine from this part of the vineyard became “The Estate,”our best representation of the vineyard from the vintage.

This new offering of The Estate showcases what a cooler part of Napa Valley can deliver in a warm year:  Rich, ripe fruit; soft, deep texture; but with savory notes of sage, pencil lead, and gravel.  The combination is a full-spectrum expression of Cabernet Sauvignon, showing power, depth, and length.  Its balance and density will allow the wine to age for many years in the bottle.

In the eastern reaches of our estate vineyard near Soda Canyon, a small creek has formed a lovely alluvial deposit over the course of millennia. It is in this part of the property where we planted white grapes, as they are perfectly matched to these soils. The grapes are harvested when they are high in acidity but relatively low in potential alcohol. The juice is pressed whole-cluster and fermented in a combination of new, neutral, and stainless steel barrels. This technique, as well as aging on the lees for several months, gives the wine a highly expressive character while adding weight and length.

Our newest vintage of Sauvignon Blanc is an explosion of citrus aromas and flavors from the get-go. A blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Musquée, the wine is full of energy, crisp acidity, and bright fruit and floral aromas. 2023 was a very interesting growing season. Coming on the heels of several drought years, this vintage started with near record-breaking rainfall in the winter and a cool spring, which led to a relatively late start to the growing season. Once they got going, the vines were able to grow strong canopies and developed quite a generous crop. The summer continued in this cool trajectory, meaning that the grapes developed slowly, retained a remarkable amount of natural acidity, and hung on the vine well into the fall. We were blessed with an autumn full of sunshine, and even though we harvested later than usual, the grapes arrived at the winery in beautiful condition. The 2023 Caryn Renae, just bottled, shows fragrant notes of grapefruit, Meyer lemon, kumquat, and verbena. Indeed, the citrus descriptors just keep coming. On the palate, the acid rides high on the flavor profile, with a subtle saline note, like ocean air on a summer day. This wine will surely bring happiness to the table, or to the poolside, or wherever it is enjoyed.

In the eastern reaches of our estate vineyard near Soda Canyon, a small creek has formed a lovely alluvial deposit over the course of millennia. It is in this part of the property where we planted white grapes, as they are perfectly matched to these soils. The grapes are harvested when they are high in acidity but relatively low in potential alcohol. The juice is pressed whole-cluster and fermented in a combination of new, neutral, and stainless steel barrels. This technique, as well as aging on the lees for several months, gives the wine a highly expressive character while adding weight and length.

Our newest vintage of Sauvignon Blanc is an explosion of citrus aromas and flavors from the get-go. A blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Musquée, the wine is full of energy, crisp acidity, and bright fruit and floral aromas. 2023 was a very interesting growing season. Coming on the heels of several drought years, this vintage started with near record-breaking rainfall in the winter and a cool spring, which led to a relatively late start to the growing season. Once they got going, the vines were able to grow strong canopies and developed quite a generous crop. The summer continued in this cool trajectory, meaning that the grapes developed slowly, retained a remarkable amount of natural acidity, and hung on the vine well into the fall. We were blessed with an autumn full of sunshine, and even though we harvested later than usual, the grapes arrived at the winery in beautiful condition. The 2023 Caryn Renae, just bottled, shows fragrant notes of grapefruit, Meyer lemon, kumquat, and verbena. Indeed, the citrus descriptors just keep coming. On the palate, the acid rides high on the flavor profile, with a subtle saline note, like ocean air on a summer day. This wine will surely bring happiness to the table, or to the poolside, or wherever it is enjoyed.