The Grapes
Willow Peak Cabernet Sauvignon is characteristic of high end Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon; dark red in color, lush in texture, luxurious mouth, rich nose with a smooth tannin structure and balanced pH. Full bodied, opulent and elegant.
Our vineyard has been selected for decades as a fruit source for many top end famous wines in the Napa Valley.
Our formula for a great wine is simple, starting with our vineyard; located on a sloping hill formed on the edge of an ancient volcanic caldera, the soil is rocky vs. alluvial valley floor soil type. Both the root stock and grape vine clone are top end, chosen for the tough environment the roots endure year round as well as the pH and mineral mixture of the soil. The vines are planted in precise parallel rows with evenly measured spacing and orientation towards the rising and setting sun. The trellis network supporting the vines is sturdy, easy to access for trimming leaf growth, dropping the less preferred fruit, harvesting and winter pruning.
Growing season in the Coombsville AVA of Napa Valley starts in March with early bud break and ends late in the harvest season, producing higher brix (sugar content), and lower tannin structure. Growing season is eight months. April, May and June, if we are lucky, fruit set takes place following flowering with little or no damage from the late spring rains. Once past June, the vineyards of the Coombsville AVA enjoy the morning fog from the San Francisco Bay area. July brings veraison as the green grapes become dark purple showing the creation of sugar is under way. August, September and October are busy months in the vineyard with precise foliage reduction conducted to maximize grape exposure to the sun coupled with intentional dropping of the least productive grape bunches to allow the vines to focus only on the grape bunches we intend to harvest.
Our grapes are actually picked after (not when) they look perfect. We wait and wait to pick until the some of the grapes actually start to shrivel a little. Extended hang time for the grape bunches in the Coombsville AVA is possible thanks to the moderate late summer and early fall temperatures. What they (the grapes) are doing is concentrating the sugar while the natural tannin structure is mellowing.
Our wine making philosophy is simple – do it right. Our goal is to maximize or express the unique characteristics found in our terroir. We start with higher sugar levels and the harsh tannin levels already under control. The grape bunches are destemmed when they arrive at the winery and are immediately placed in the fermentation tanks. Fermentation in stainless steel tanks lasts for several days until the yeast has completed the conversion of sugar into alcohol. When ready, the wine is transferred to 100% New French Oak barrels, aging for typically 20-22 months in the temperature and humidity controlled wine cave located under our vineyard, a process the French also refer to as elevage. After bottling, the wine is moved to a cool temperature wine storage facility in Napa for additional aging in the bottle prior to the big event when the corkscrew meets the cork.
Many decades of experience gardening, landscaping and growing a variety of fruits and vegetables. However this is our first vineyard. We have thought about expanding our grape production to other areas of the Napa Valley and other varietals of grapes. However, we feel we have made the right choice to focus on the Coombsville AVA and to concentrate on our two favorite grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.
To sum it up –wine produced in the Napa Valley is Heavenly.
