Vineyard Notes

The interesting varietals in this wine come from grapes grown in the historic Beaulieu Vineyard Ranch 12 and Beaulieu Vineyard Ranch 11 vineyards.  BV Ranch 12, located in Calistoga, experiences dramatic diurnal temperature swings with hot days and very cool evening. There is a wide range of soil types in this vineyard and its home to Beaulieu’s most diverse set of vine plantings including Touriga, Tempranillio, Charbono, Marsanne and many more. The Beaulieu Vineyard Ranch No. 11 vineyard is located in northern Napa Valley just south of Calistoga. The devotion to farming this historic vineyard gem is rewarded year after year with expressive and richly flavored grapes.

Vintage Notes

Good growing conditions throughout the season led vintage 2015 to come in early with very good quality across the board for whites and reds. A cooler than normal late spring during flowering kept yields down as did the effects from California’s continued drought. Despite this and a hot weather snap in early summer, the overall season was smooth and uneventful. Harvest started early and the grapes came into the winery with beautiful flavor development and concentrated color, resulting in excellent vintage 2015 wines. 

Winemaking Notes

After hand harvesting, the grapes were immediately brought across the street into the winery. The grapes were destemmed and crushed and cold soaked for 2 to 4 days to gently ease color and flavor. During the 10 to 12-day fermentation, timely pump-overs kept the skins in contact with the juice for excellent flavor and tannin extraction. Each varietal is vinified and aged separately until final blending. The wine spent 22 months in 100% French oak barrels (45% new) giving the final blend softened tannins and toasty barrel notes.