During the 2017 Napa Valley wildfire, the winery in Soder Canyon was almost completely burned down, but the wine in the tank that miraculously remained was named Phoenix, imagining a phoenix flying out of the ashes. Currently, they also have a wonderful winemaking facility on their own vineyard in Carneros. From the Laughing Lands, Church, Diablo & Old Master plots of their own vineyard. The 2020 vintage is mainly Merlot. Aged in barrels for 23 months (60% new barrels). A tight and firm taste that fully demonstrates the characteristics of the cool Carneros Merlot, with a distinct personality that is clearly distinct from other wines.
Origin of the wine name
Miraculously, the office and workshop, built in the 1980s, was spared from the wildfires that ravaged southern Napa Valley in 2017.
The winery in Soda Canyon also lost its winery to the fire, but here too, miraculously, the 2016 wine that was aging in barrels was spared.
The wine was named because it is "like a phoenix rising from the ashes and taking flight."
Technical information
Brewing and aging: The grapes brought in from each plot are carefully selected, de-stemmed, and fermented separately using natural yeasts.
Particular care must be taken during extraction to avoid over-extraction.
It is slowly aged for 23 months in French barrels made from Darnajou, François Frères, Sylvian and Taransaud (60% new).
The wine is racked several times while checking the condition, then blended and further aged.
It is then bottled without filtering or artificial fining agents.
Tasting Comments
A "tight and firm" appearance typical of red wines from cool climates!
Owner Lee Hudson says, "It's a hammer made of velvet!"
The pleasant aromas successively include kirsch, plum, red berries, rose, black tea, pencil lead, cinnamon sticks, forest incense, black currant and the hard aroma of crushed rock.
It also has a distinctive spicy flavour with pepper, sage, mint and anise.
The fruit flavors of candied apple, plum, and blueberry emerge gently, and the mouthfeel is very supple. The pleasant tannins linger for a long time on the finish, and the earthy nuances make it a good match with red meat dishes.
Field Information
Phoenix Subdivision Map
Vineyards: Hudson Vineyards (100% owned vineyards) is divided into two major areas.
Home Ranch (a field including a winery along Route 121)
Henry Road Ranch (A field that spreads across the complex rolling hills to the north)
Phoenix harvests grapes from four different plots on his home ranch (Laughing Lands, Church, Diablo, and Old Master) over several days, checking the ripeness of the grapes on cool nights. He then hand-sorts the grapes.
Vintage: 2020
Capacity: 750ml
Type: Red wine
Taste: Full-bodied
Main variety: Merlot 84%
Blend: 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc
Country of Origin: America
Region Name: California
AVA: Napa Valley
Nested AVAs, Others: Carneros
Vineyard: Hudson Vineyards
Notes: Merlot is the predominant variety.
Winemaker: Clayton Kirchhoff
Vinification: Natural yeast fermentation
Ageing: 23 months in French barrels (D'Arnajou, François Frères, Sylvien and Tarensaud, 60% new barrels)
Cap: Cork
Alcohol content: 14.8%