Ghost Block Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
Yountville, Napa Valley

We have used Ghost Block in our Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon for years, but in 2019 the wine was so good that we decided to bottle our favorite barrels separately to be released as a single vineyard wine to our mailing list and club members exclusively.

Vineyards:

Ghost Block is a legendary vineyard right in the heart of Napa Valley.  According to local lore, the ghost of George C. Yount, (the first person to plant a grapes in Napa), can be seen wandering the hillside vineyard.  Ghost Block sits on a gently sloping knoll at base of Yountville Hill on the north end of the town of Yountville.  It is organically farmed and planted to old Mondavi Clone Cabernet Sauvignon.   The vineyard is very unique in that it is a hillside vineyard located on the valley floor.

Winemaking:

The barrels selected for this bottling were entirely fermented in 225-liter new French Oak barrels.   The heads of the barrels were removed and then filled with approximately 400 lbs of the destemmed and sorted grapes.  The heads were put back on and the barrels were laid onto specialized rollers for fermentation.  The barrels were rolled 3 times per day to maximize extraction while softening tannin.  After 20 days the heads were removed and the the skins pressed.  The press wine was mixed with free-run wine and aged in the same barrels for 20 months.

Tasting Notes:

The 2019 Ghost Block is modern Napa Valley Cabernet at its best. It pours a nearly opaque deep red. Its nose bursting with menthol, baking spice, and dark chocolate. The pallet is dominated by perfectly ripe red fruit flavors all framed by mouthwatering acidity and its youthful tannic structure. Very good now with a decant, but patience will be rewarded. This wine will make a statement with any meal.