This wine is crafted from the famed Hudson Ranch off Henry Road in the Carneros AVA of Napa Valley. Hailing from two unique blocks of California’s most famous homegrown clone, “Old Wente”, we capture both sun-drenched ripeness and lively freshness.

The 2023 growing season is characterized by a cool, wet start as winter lingered into April. Budbreak was later than average and excellent weather during bloom allowed for a bountiful crop. Moderate temperatures carried through summer into a late harvest defined by meteorological troughs and ridges. Every vineyard and variety received just enough sunshine and heat between cool spells and rain showers to achieve ideal ripeness.

The grapes were handpicked at night and arrived at the winery before sunrise to ensure fruit integrity and preservation of delicate flavors. Whole clusters were loaded into the press for a gentle three-hour cycle where juice was allowed exposure to oxygen before being pumped into a stainless-steel tank. After spontaneous onset of fermentation by indigenous yeast, the fermenting juice was racked from tank to French oak barrels where primary fermentation finished in three months and secondary malolactic fermentation was arrested by the addition of sulfur in the spring of 2024. Each individual barrel was sur lie aged and kept separate until the final blend was assembled shortly before bottling. Gentle fining of a portion of barrels provided polish to the wine’s finish.