The Neal family has been growing grapes in the Napa Valley for over 40 years. Their vineyard management company oversees the vineyards for many prestigious producers. It was only in the late 90's that they began to make wine. Choosing fruit from selected blocks of organically farmed vineyards, they now are producing classic Napa Valley Cabernet.
Winemaker's Notes:
The growing season for 2007 was mixed with stretches of heat and cool periods, creating a wide span of harvests dates and delightful fruit characters in the vineyard. The Cabernet Sauvignon sites we farm organically, produced delicious flavors with harvest starting in late August at the Fifteen Forty Vineyard on the east side of Howell Mountain. By mid-September we had picked a little Rutherford, valley floor fruit but then after a cool down, had to wait until October for the remaining Rutherford and mountain vineyards to ripen. Included in the Howell Mountain Estate Vineyard was some of the first fruit from our replanted vines.The growing conditions produced dark fruit flavors, very well balanced acids and tannins, and beautifully colored wines. This vintage is packed with intense fruit aromas of cherry, blackberry, cassis and sweet oak. Plus, there is sweetness to the intense fruit and oak flavors and a mouth watering, velvety structure from the tannins. The resulting character makes this a great vintage for enjoying now as well as aging.
