|
Spring is upon us, and we are finally beginning to see a bit of sunshine here in Northern California. It’s a beautiful time of year – all of the lakes are full, the hillsides are radiantly green and wildflowers and fruit trees are blossoming everywhere. This is thanks to the abundant amount of rainfall that we have received this year. So far this season, 44 inches of rain have fallen in Napa Valley, compared to 16 inches at this point last year, and 51 inches of rain in Freestone, compared to 22 inches at this point last year. Following four consecutive years of drought, we welcome the wet weather with open arms.
Throughout the winter, our vineyard team worked to prune the canes from our 10 vineyards in Napa Valley and the Sonoma Coast. Those dormant vines are coming back to life – bud break began on the Sonoma Coast earlier this month and just last week we began to see bud break at our Home Ranch in St. Helena.
The wines from the 2016 vintage are all resting in barrel. Our winemaking team is already assembling the blends and so far both Ashley Hepworth and Justin Ennis are quite pleased with this vintage.
We recently released the 2014 vintage of our Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, for which Joe Phelps’ granddaughter, Allie Phelps, has created an innovative new recipe that we encourage you to try at home with family and friends.
|
