Our wine is naturally handcrafted to carefully reflect the characteristics of each vintage and to capture the true essence of the terroir. Our wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered to respect the integrity of the fruit, so some sediment is to be expected.
Vintage 1998
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The 1998 vintage marks the first release of Portfolio, Limited Edition. The weather in 1998 was unusual: |
Vintage 1999
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The
1999 vintage was marked by a long, cool growing season and a heat spell
at harvest time. The result in the wine is very characteristic of this
pattern. The ripe tannin brings elegance and finesse in a powerful way.
The wine is rich and very concentrated with an intensive color. Excellent
grape flavor and very tasty dark fruit of black cherry and blackberry
gives layers of complexity. This 1999 Portfolio is the signature of the
vintage. Only 220 cases were produced. The blend of varietals is 80% Cabernet
Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc. The most cherished of the Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine Awards: WINE OF THE YEAR. "a wine of impeccable richness, balance, depth and focus" Sold Out |
Vintage 2000
Vintage 2001
Vintage 2002
Vintage 2003 The winter was wet followed by a dry spring until we got unexpected rain in April and May. Early budbreak and long hangtime helped the maturity of the tannins to be perfectly balanced and intense. The summer temperatures were normal. September and October were punctuated by heat spells and low humidity with wide diurnal swings in temperature. The cold night helped prolong ripening and led to fully mature flavors in the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Cabernet Franc. The wine shows deep purple color followed by a sumptuous pure nose of crushed rocks, graphite, Provencal herbs and black currant liquor weaved with beautiful spicy oak. Gorgeously proportionate and balance this is a full body wine with generous tannins, structure and density which expresses substance and power, very intense, the wine has a long finish with a vibrant note of fresh wild berries. The 2003 vintage is a blend of 80% CS from the Hendry Ranch, Block 8 and 20% CF from the Weitz vineyard. 250 cases were produced. Vintage 2004 Vintage 2005 Vintage 2006 In 2006 we had abundant rain in winter and spring, with a cool growing season, a short heat spell in July and ideal warm weather in August. September and October were nicely cool with foggy mornings and cold nights. It was perfect weather conditions which allowed us to bring in our Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc at optimal ripeness.
The resulting wine is concentrated, and nicely structured and full-bodied. The nose is engaging with aromas of tiny huckleberries and cassis fruit woven with spicy sweet oak. The flavor is balanced with a graphite tone and dark concentrated wild berries, ending with a smooth and long intense finish. Enjoy the wine for many years to come.
The vintage started with an early budbreak and finished with a late harvest.
It resulted in a long hangtime for the fruit and thus a great maturity
of the skin. Most of the season provided optimal ripening. Portfolio is
selected from two outstanding vineyards with a strong expression of terroir.
The wine shows a lot of intense fresh black and blue berries, deep color,
a very condensed middle palate which ends in an explosion of fruit. The
tannins are very silky and generous with a solid structure. The wine shows
a very long finish with nuances of spices, minerals and a vibrant flavor.
It is ready to be enjoyed now and will keep well for many years. The blend
of varietals is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit
Verdot. 220 cases were produced.
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Portfolio
Limited Edition Vintage 2001 was elegantly sculptured by the season’s
unique weather. In general, we received very low rainfall during the winter,
totaling a below average of 25.5’’ rather than the 37’’
average of the last 5 years. The end result was smaller berries and thus
concentrated fruit extraction in the wine. Temperature in the spring was
warmer than usual. A nice growing season started with a lot of solar radiation
with little clouds. April was cooler than normal. The absence of rain
pushed the vines into an early budbreak (10 days ahead from the average).
A frost damaged the vines in April, yielding a lower crop. May was warm
and sunny with no rainfall which produced an ideal weather condition for
a great homogenous bloom and berry set. During the summer, the Napa Valley
enjoyed many foggy mornings, with lower solar radiation - the signature
of vintage 2001. Harvest was pushed back due to cold September days. With
the longer hangtime on the vines, Portfolio Limited Edition fruit acquired
a beautifully balanced and intense flavor. Harvest was quite relaxed due
to relatively cool temperatures as we had plenty of time to see the fruit
maturing in a very gracious way. The fruit was picked and sorted once
in the vineyard, brought to the winery in small 35lbs boxes and hand-sorted
again before crushing-destemming. Finally, the fruit was sorted a third
time after crushing before falling gently into our one-ton fermenting
bins. For a full month, during maceration, we watched the new wine develop
its unique personality. The wine was aged in new French oak barrels for
20 months and then in bottles for a year before release. Portfolio Limited
Edition is the culmination of a terroir with unparalleled pedigree, combined
with a unique vintage. The wine shows a solid structured personality and
a powerful expression of the vintage. Full-bodied, with superb, well-integrated
refined tannin. An explosion of deep and generous aromas of blackberry,
cassis, currant and violet, fresh tobacco and minerals with a hint of
church incense. Long, caressing finish. Tight, firm and silky with graciousness
and agility which reflects the artistic vision of the two winemakers.
This is a very serious wine. Ready to be enjoyed now, best after 2006,
it will age comfortably for many years to come.
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The
2002 growing season was overall fairly normal. During budbreak, bloom,
and veraison the data shows that nothing was out of ordinary. But, when
September and October unfolded, every thing looked very different. We
had many days with low humidity below 10% and no night fog. The grapes
did not have time to recover from one day to another for many consecutive
days. The winemakers needed to be very creative and patient. Few grapes
dehydrated naturally on the vines. This intense eccentric weather resulted
in high concentration and intensity in the wines.
2002 Portfolio Limited Edition shows an intense inky dark color as well as very black raspberries, chocolate and wild berries aroma, very engaging and promising. It is a powerful concentrated full bodied wine combining elegance with tremendous intensity and richness, a multi-layer aroma of complex fruit, licorice, cedar and toasty nutty oak with a finish that goes for a long after taste. The wine is dense, broad enveloping the pallet, lush, silky. It is a monumental example of elegance and power.
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The 2004 vintage is our seventh release. A moderately rainy winter and warm temperatures in March initiated an early bud break in 2004, about one week earlier than normal. A relatively cool summer set the path to balance the fruit and the ripeness of the tannins. Temperatures throughout the summer were relatively mild, with famous fog lingering over the vineyard until late morning. The weather has been very cooperative. The wine shows deep color with engaging fragrant ripe fruit and a fresh summer floral bouquet combined to produce a highly-developed aromatic energy. Opulent and generous in mouthfeel, the wine possesses supple and silky tannins. The flavors continue to unfold in a very solid texture, with sophisticated wood merging into an elaborate fruitiness of wild berry and cassis. Finesse, elegance and power combined with a stylish structure end in a persistent finish.
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Vintage 2005 started with a cool, wet winter and spring continuing with a warm July and unfolding in a cool August, September and October. Consequently, the wine is more streamlined and obviously superbly structured and balanced exhibiting abundant cool climate small berry fruit. The wine balances gracefully, the mouthfeel and texture are gentle and assertive and the complex wild berry fruit is explosive. The spiciness and sweetness of the oak weaves gently between the complexity and the length of the finish. The wine will reach its potential in 2010-2025 and could age many years after.
