Winemaking Update

This shipment includes a trio of small lot wines from the fantastic 2021 vintage. It sees the triumphant return of the Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon, along with the Locked Horns Cabernet Sauvignon. We’ve also included a Merlot from our brand new Explorer Series label.

Merlot has always been a favorite of mine. One of my first life-changing wines was a ‘97 Pahlmeyer Merlot, given to me during my first harvest. The wine haunts me to this day, a beautiful and decidedly brighter take on the famed Bordeaux grape. That’s the style we pursue, one that showcases both the individual grape as well as the individual site. Most of the fruit in this wine hails from Carneros and its deep clay resident soils. Part of our new Explorer Series, the wine is a nod to our ongoing exploration of single varietals across the spectrum of the Napa Valley.

The Locked Horns Cabernet Sauvignon is made from Stags Leap fruit and shows an impressive concentration of tannin. There’s immense roundness to this wine and the blue fruit elements practically leap from the glass, as they tend to do in warmer years like 2021. It’s reminiscent of blueberry compote, dense, smooth and lasting. My objective as a winemaker is to turn up the volume on the hallmarks of our famed estate vineyard properties. I think this vintage offers a focused snapshot of what Locked Horns is all about.

The Oakville Cabernet Cabernet Sauvignon pulls from our 24-acre site in this storied appellation. In particular, four acres always stand alone, anchored in iron-rich red soil and responsible for some of the lushest fruit across our entire vineyard portfolio. It’s a balanced wine, showing wild berries, black olive and fresh coffee. The layers are silky, the tannins are plump and it’s all the better with cedar plank Chinook salmon.

Harvest is quickly approaching! This is a time where a personal motto of mine takes precedence – “SUPER OMNIA VINO” (or “above everything, wine”). At the beginning of every vintage, I have a conversation with our team where I speak in detail about how precious and personal this endeavor is to me, and I expect it to be for all of us. When you spend as much time together as we do every harvest (more than with our own families, in fact) it HAS to be that important. This is the only way for us to succeed in our goal of crafting some of the greatest wines in the world. In honor of this discussion, we all keep a barrel cellar tag, inscribed with this motto, on our key ring to remind us of our aim (from the moment we wake up until the moment we rest). This is one of many traditions that we have every harvest. Make sure to take a peek at Gustavo’s note to learn about another special harvest moment. While a true communal activity, I’m also drawn to how personal harvest is. Every individual experiences it differently, from our overseas intern greenhorns to our seasoned cellar technicians entering their tenth harvest. That’s because no two harvests are exactly alike and crush always — ALWAYS — teaches us something new about winegrowing.

Josh Widaman
Estate Winemaker

Josh Widaman
Estate Winemaker

 Viticulture Update

This year’s growing season has me very excited. After a somewhat cool spring, with some much-needed rain, we’ve reached the core of summer. Yields are about normal and the quality of fruit is fantastic. Harvest will likely be a bit later this year, starting around the third week of September.

While pruning is probably the vineyard task I enjoy most, harvest is extremely rewarding. It’s the culmination of a year’s worth of work in the field and there’s nothing quite like getting those first clusters in your hand. With wine, you get one shot per year, and harvest is the capstone — a year’s worth of work out in the rows.

We have a tradition at Pine Ridge of blessing the growing season. We invite a local pastor (from my church) to our winery on the first day of harvest to share a few words with our team and bless the grapes. It’s a group affair, just like harvest, with the winemaking, vineyard, and tasting room crews taking part. It’s a tradition we can’t live without! One year we tried. We started harvest without this tradition. As a result, we ended up with a lot of bad luck that didn’t subside until we did the formal blessing!

While we’re focusing on all things 2023 here in the vineyards, the focus is currently on 2021 with regards to these wines. The past couple of years have been quite hot, with limited to no irrigation and the vines forced to fend for themselves to some extent. This kind of stress can deliver exceptional fruit, albeit in the form of smaller berries and clusters. That was certainly the case in 2021, and it’s a joy to get a real sense of the vintage in the glass right now.

The Oakville appellation is home to our warmest site, set up with tremendous exposure. The grapes receive sunlight from the moment the sun comes up until the moment it sets, meaning we have to be a little more diligent with canopy management to avoid heat damage. The extra effort is always worth it, as the fruit tends to produce wines redolent with wild fruit notes, voluptuous tannins, and plenty of balance. We can’t wait for you to try.

Locked Horns has a big personality as well. The site is as dramatic as the name suggests, set on an alluvial fan about a mile from our tasting room. There, we get the makings of a wine that’s both full of muscle and as graceful as ever. The 2021 growing season was a bit hotter than in 2019 and I believe the site really shines under those warmer conditions. Last but not least, there’s Merlot, which needs no introduction. This is an inviting wine just begging for a backyard barbecue.

Harvest time is all about community, nourishment, and reaping the fruits of your labor. We hope you can gather around the table with friends and family and let these wines enhance the meal, spark lively conversation, and transport you — if only mentally — to our Napa Valley home.

Cheers!

Gustavo Aviña
Viticulture Director