A single vineyard wine should have its own story to tell, a unique personality, and an innate balance and completeness.

The Dead Fred Vineyard fits this bill. Planted in 2001 by our dear friends Lisa Cort and David Goldman, we leased it in 2012 and started farming it ourselves, using organic practices to bring out the best from the special soil. The Dead Fred Vineyard is a core component of our Napa Valley Cabernet blend, but for our single vineyard offering we select a small amount of the wine (we harvest multiple times so have different lots to choose from) that we feel best describes the terroir.

The Dead Fred Vineyard in Coombsville sits on a rocky volcanic knolltop, with soil derived from volcanic ash with lots of rocks made from rylolite (compressed volcanic ash). Its south-western exposure causes the soil to pick up heat during the day, but the proximity to the mouth of the Napa Valley with its morning fog and afternoon sea breezes keeps the air cool. This combination of warm volcanic soil and cool marine air creates fruit that is uncommonly structured and ripe, yet fresh and minerally.

91 cases produced. This special wine will develop for many years.