The vineyard manager is Michael Wolff, who also works with Arajo, Bextoffer, and Scarecrow. The winemaker is Ms. Francois Pétion, who worked at Arajo for 14 years. After 10 months of aging in French barrels, the wine is blended and aged for another 12 months (total of about 2 years). The concentrated purple color raises expectations, and while it has ripe crème de cassis, licorice, and graphite, it is full-bodied, but also has lively fruit freshness, silky and well-melted tannins, excellent acidity, and a fragrant nuance from the barrel.
Vintage Information
2018 was a fantastic year, rivalling 2016, which has been called the best vintage in Napa Valley in recent years.
Ample winter rains, warm springs, mild summers without heat waves, and cool fog at night ensured a long growing season without reducing acidity.
Vine Hill Ranch's expert team of vineyard technicians has nurtured the perfect grapes.
Technical information
Harvest season: The harvest began on September 25th, about a month later than in 2017, and ended on October 12th.
The unique characteristics of this vineyard - rich, dense fruit - are perfectly expressed.
Winemaking: After rigorous selection, the wine is fermented and aged in French barrels for approximately 10 months before being blended.
It was returned to the barrel for a further 12 months of aging (total of approximately 2 years of barrel aging), bottled in mid-2020, and released after approximately 1 year of bottle aging.
Tasting Comments
The 2018 vintage is powerful and well-structured, with aromas of cocoa, ripe blackberries, black cherry jam, plums, nutmeg, cinnamon, liquorice and other spices.
Finely grained tannins, rich, ripe fruit and lively acidity combine seamlessly to create a complex, deep and rich flavour.
Production volume: 1,100 cases.
Field Information
Vine Hill Ranch field and plot map
Areas used in 2018
The 2018 harvest began on September 25th in Block 3, followed by Blocks 1 and 6, and ended on October 12th in Block 4.
Block 3: Benchland, a gently sloping area (yield: 3.5 tons/acre)
Block 1: Hilly and sloping land connected to Mayacamas Mountain (yield: 4.8 tons/acre)
Block 6: Hilly areas historically proven to produce the highest quality wines (yield: 3.8 tonnes/acre)
Block 4: Benchland (yield: 4.6 tonnes/acre)
*The average yield of Cabernet Sauvignon in Napa Valley is said to be 10 tons per acre, so the yield at Vine Hill Ranch Estate is very low, and concentrated fruit is used that is subject to sufficient yield restriction.
Vintage: 2018
Capacity: 750ml
Type: Red wine
Taste: Full-bodied
Main variety: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Country of Origin: America
Region Name: California
AVA: Napa Valley
Nested AVA, Other: Oakville
Vineyard: Vine Hill Ranch
Note: vinous 98P
Winemaker: Francoise Peschon
Aging: Aged for approximately 24 months in French barrels
Rating: 90P or above
Cap: Cork
Alcohol content: 14.8%