Most of our wines age in barrel for quite some time.  Typically 18 months for Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, 22 months for other red wines, and 28 months for our reserve wines.  During this time, the wines develop new flavors, textures, and aromas.  Some of these changes come directly from the barrel.  The inner staves of a new oak barrel are charred by the cooper, and as wine soaks into the staves, this layer of charred oak gives up flavors and textures to the wine.

Each cooperage’s barrels yield a unique set of flavors, textures, and aromas to the wine. To add complexity to our wines, we use a wide variety of cooperages, including both new barrels (never before used) and “neutral” barrels (which have been used before and no longer add flavors to the wine) new and neutral barrels.

Every year, after the wines from the previous vintage have been in oak for several months, we take a day in the cellar to reeducate ourselves on the nuances of each cooperage by staging our blind barrel trials.   Each flight consists of wine from a single fermentation but drawn from several different barrels first use barrels.  Also included in each flight is one “neutral” barrel which allows us to understand how the wine tastes and ages on its own without any new barrel influence.

After tasting, we compare our notes and then discuss what we are learning.  The trials give us an opportunity to learn more about how each cooperage tends to interact with the various vineyards, regions, and varietals that we produce.  Using this knowledge, we then make decisions about how we plan to use different cooperages in the coming vintage.  It’s a painstaking process, but in the end, it is a crucial part of crafting wines with complete and seamless palates, deep and satisfying flavors, and lengthy, alluring finishes.

Chef Derick continues to push the culinary team to make creative, innovative dishes so that there is always something new and exciting when you visit. He has broken the mold this year with different-sized courses and plates. Highlighting vineyards from Sonoma and Napa with 5 different single varietals to enjoy with delectable B Bites. Chef Derick is stretching the culinary bounds and will wow you from start to finish with an exceptional menu with inspiration from around the globe.

The welcome bite is packed with flavor – Crispy Korean Pork Belly and a crisp cucumber salad play perfectly with bright Rosé.

The first course is tantalizing fried halibut, tangerine slaw, tartar sauce, and homemade potato chips. The sweet fish and fatty crust are cut by the acidity and bright fruit in the Calesa Vineyard Chardonnay.

The main course has two pairings. Chicken Gyoza with Date-Ponzu Purée paired with Brown Ranch Pinot Noir and a mouthwatering Pastrami Slider on a pretzel bun paired with Sugarloaf Vineyard Cabernet Franc.

Chef doesn’t always make a dessert, but when he does, he knocks it out of the park. A perfectly delectable chocolate ravioli paired with Star Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.

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Bridgeline Vineyard

Owned and farmed by the Renteria family and located on the borderline between Oakville and Rutherford, this vineyard has long been a backbone to several of our wines. Bridgeline Vineyard sits deeply rooted in the alluvial loamy soils created over centuries by the erosion of the Vaca Mountain range.

Showcasing the depth and earthy spice of Oakville this wine is full of bramble berry, currants, clove, and black olives. Heightened with a streak of black cherry cola and tea, with a mid-palate flash of blueberries and toasted nuts. True to the lower bench lands, this wine tends toward the savory side with a rich mouthfeel and a long finish.

2021 Bridgeline Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Giannone Vineyard

We have been fortunate to harvest Cabernet Sauvignon from this family-owned vineyard for several vintages. The postage-stamp-sized plot is located just off the Silverado Trail on the northern border of the Oakville Viticultural Area. The ancient, alluvial soils are deep and well-drained. We have been consistently astounded by the velvety texture and deep, dense mid-palate flavors these grapes produce.

The nose is pungent with cherries, cranberry, mulberry, and cassis. The palate is expansive with blood orange, and tart cherry pie filling, supported by black olive tapenade, mushrooms, and exotic spices. Punchy tannins are present throughout and lead to a long lingering finish.

2021 Giannone Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

The “Last Chance” section features wines with less than 10 cases left, some with as few as 6 bottles. Grab them before they’re gone!

2021 Kenefick Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon

2019 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

2019 Diamond Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon

2021 Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon