This vineyard, which we planted in 1999, sits on the steepest part of our estate hidden high up in the Vaca Mountains. The 2015 vintage offered a low yield, but the very highest possible fruit quality. This is, perhaps, our most aromatically interesting bottling. The nose offers notes of brambly fruit, licorice, earth, and herbs. The initial entry onto the palate presents blue and black fruit flavors, most notable plums and blueberry, releasing traces of cocoa nibs and mocha in the finish. The generous tannins are already integrating well. While cellaring will be rewarded, we feel this wine is more approachable at a young age than its Beckstoffer vineyard counterparts.

While we source from several of Napa Valley’s most prestigious (Beckstoffer) vineyards, the quality of the fruit coming from this small Cloudy’s Estate Vineyard on the home ranch provides a different profile and a great contrast to the valley floor vineyards which led them to bottle it separately as a vineyard designate. Cloudy’s sits on the slopes of Dutch Canyon above Duckhorn’s Three Palms, Hourglass’ Blueline and Switchback Ridge vineyards. At this elevation Cloudy’s sits high above the floor but under the marine layer keeping the vines cooler throughout the day. The varying soils and exposures of the small steep vineyard allow for significant diversity among the various blocks.

The resulting wine is a silkier more elegant counterpart to its powerful stablemates from the Oakville bench. This wine will really shine in dining environments with its lush ripe fruit and polished texture, rich and balanced with ripe fruit and judicious use of oak.