The 2006 vintage is one of a great string of years, and I believe it's our best ever. Deep color, broad rich mid-palate, Damson plums, Queen Anne cherries, baking spices, and flintiness from the vineyard’s rocky, mineral-laden subsoils are some of my descriptors for this delicious Pinot Noir. Twenty-two barrels – 540 cases– were bottled with the Olivia Brion label.
Here is the first review of the new vintage: Miss Olivia Brion Pinot Noir 2006 "Heron Lake Vineyard", Wild Horse Valley.
"This local, artisan Pinot Noir is in very few wine
shops. With this 2006 vintage, not only are we one of the few, we're the first! We tasted this around Christmas and convinced our friend David (the winemaker) to let us start selling this delicious wine sooner than later. Wild cherry, juicy red-fleshed plum, framboise, coriander, white pepper, wild thyme and ruby grapefruit flavors dance through the wine. Silky, intense and succulent, this very pretty and formidable Pinot Noir is drinking great now and will get significantly better as the months go by." (Dan Dawson, Back Room Wines, Napa)
If you’re curious about the story of Miss Olivia Brion, you’ll enjoy the Letters of Love, dug up by our grapegrower, researcher and fabulist, John Newmeyer. |
Lord Nelson “Victory” is a new port-style fortified wine. In this first release, we are offering only twelve hundred 375 ml-bottles (two barrels’ worth).
The primary varietal in the blend is Syrah, which gives it great concentration and color. Cabernet Franc and Viognier grapes add to the complexity, structure and floral aromatics. The finished alcohol is the traditional, classic 20%. Brandy is added midway through fermentation, the timing carefully calculated to stop the yeast activity and leave appropriate levels of acids, tannins and residual sugar. This is a wine with great classic structure that will most likely age longer than the winemakers.
The first release of Lord Nelson “Victory” was produced from grapes sourced from the Reid Family Vineyards located in southwest Napa, and estate bottled.
The label has been designed by our good friend, David Lance Goines. David has been producing graphic arts posters, personal writings and books for four decades. Among his many well known and award-winning graphic designs are the Ravenswood wine label and 35 years of Chez Panisse’s posters.
Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson was one of the most beloved naval heroes of all time. He loved good port wine and good conversation. We love the wine with intense chocolate and raspberry desserts beside a warm fire.
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The 2004 Palladian Cabernet Sauvignon is an elegantly structured wine with silky smooth tannins tucked in behind lovely and complex fruit flavors reminiscent of classic Bordeaux. The fruit notes are Queen Anne cherries and cassis. Secondary aromatics are cigar box cedar leading to complex wet stone minerality.
The name of the wine, and the label design, derive from the classical Palladian temple overlooking the immaculate vineyard, located on Meadowood Lane in St. Helena, just across the Harlen Estate Napa Reserve project. I manage the vineyard as well as make the wine. The vineyard is not farmed; it’s gardened — organically. Four feet spacing between the vine rows allows only human scale tools, not even a small tractor. It’s a lot of work, but well worth it.
Each vintage produces only six or seven tons of cab, and a small amount of cab franc, hence the 450-500 case production from this estate vineyard. We’ve planted some more cab franc in the last few years. Our crew cares for the vineyard, does the estate gardening, and builds beautiful walls and other features in natural stone.
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