March Featured Wines

100% Cabernet Sauvignon | 100 cases produced | $125/bottle

Vineyard: Steffensen Vineyard Coombsville and Mee Lane Vineyard Rutherford 

Winemaker:  James Moss | Resume Mondavi, Opus One, Jessup Cellars, J. Gregory

Cellaring: Decant, 9-12 years prime, ideal for extended aging 15+ – TFWC Tasting Panel, 2021

Owner’s Background: James Moss comes from Dallas, Texas where he first was introduced to fine wines working for a Texas distributor.  His work often brought him to the Napa Valley for further education.  That is when he began to fall in love with the industry and had the desire to produce his own fine wine that he could share with friends and family and eventually all wine lovers.  James decided to move to California in 1998 to follow this dream.

James’ career in winemaking began with helping out a friend at his small winery.  This is where he soon realized the complexity and commitment it took to produce an award winning wine and he has been committed to that goal ever since.  In addition to the day to day operations being the winemaker for J Moss, James hand selects the vineyards where the grapes are sourced, is the welcoming host at J Moss winery tastings and works out in the market hand selling J Moss wines to on and off premise customers in Northern California, Texas, Hawaii and beyond

Winemaking: This limited production 100% Cabernet Sauvignon comes from two special vineyards from the Rutherford and Coombsville appellations of Napa Valley.  The top two barrels were selected from each vineyard and married together to produce this amazing bottle of wine. This Cabernet Sauvignon is intense with dense dark rich concentrated bold black fruits including blackberries, dark cherry, plums with hints of double espresso.  It is rich and full bodied with medium tannins and an intense finish. 

We hand-harvested at dawn October 2016, at 25.4 Brix. Our grapes were picked cool at 47 F, destemmed, cold soaked 5 days to gently optimize extraction of tannins, color and fresh fruit, then fermented in small lot 3/4 ton fermenters. The grapes were punched down by hand two to three times a day until dry. The wine was pressed to barrels for malolactic fermentation, then racked into 100% French barrel for its planned Barrel aged 32 months, which will add complex flavors and lush aromatics. Each barrel was handracked four times and bottled with techniques that ensure maximum protection for aging cellar-worthy collector caliber wines. Limited allocated wine.

Tasting notes: This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon brings powerful, dense, rich Rutherford dust mixed with the deep dark color of Coombsville. The beautiful nose of crème de cassis takes you into complex spice notes with layers of bright, juicy dark fruits like black raspberries, white chocolate, licorice and violets. It’s rich and full bodied and polished with sweet tannins. It’s a classic balance and full structured wine with supple tannins. It will cellar gracefully 15-25 years and may be decanted for earlier gratification.        – 91 Points

2016 Sequum Kidd Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon, St. Helena Napa Valley

100% Cabernet Sauvignon | 200 cases produced | $75/bottle

Vineyard: Kidd Ranch Vineyard, St. Helena

Winemaker:  Paul Skinner, Ph.D in Soil Science UC Davis. Global vineyard consultant

Cellaring: 8-12 years ideal from vintage – TFWC Tasting Panel, 2021

Owner’s Background: Sequum is a soil science term that describes the relationship of a vertical sequence of soil layers. Sequum Wines are each made to showcase Paul Skinner’s, Ph.D., deep understanding of the relationship of soil and climate to grape growing. While Paul has a deep respect for old vines and traditions he also has pioneered the use of new techniques for monitoring and assessing vine, water and nutrient status and the implications and effects they have on premium quality grapes and wines.

Paul began making wine in 2003 because of his passion for wine and inspiration from his Kidd Ranch vineyard in St. Helena, Napa Valley. He combines the practical scientific approach with an artisan’s sensitivity. Sequum wines are made by utilizing the best that science has to offer with an artistic instinct.

Winemaker’s Notes: The vineyard is located on an ancient gravelly alluvial fan of Sulfur Creek that consists of Bale soil with Cortina gravelly mounds scattered throughout. A selection of Cabernet Sauvignon clones grafted to different rootstocks are matched to subtle changes in soil type. Hand farming of traditional Bordeaux-style meter by meter close spacing allows for balanced vine growth and the optimum light and temperature conditions around each ripening cluster. The wine was aged in a mixture of French Oak selected to highlight the complexity that develops in the vineyard. Our goal is to harvest our Cabernet Sauvignon fruit at its optimum quality and produce wines that reflect our small piece of Napa’s terroir.

Tasting notes: Classic aromas of coffee bean, blueberry, sweet red plum, black cherry, dried figs, and baking spices. Flavors of black cherry, black currant, and dark chocolate are followed by vanilla notes. In the mouth, luscious black fruits are wrapped in a smooth and silky texture, finishing with black currant and black cherry.

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2017 Mirror Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville Napa Valley

100% Cabernet Sauvignon  | 364 cases produced | $95/bottle

Vineyard: Skellenger Vineyard, Oakville

Winemaker: Kirk Venge | Resume – B Cellars, Promise Wines, Summers Estate, Jax Vineyard, Venge Family Wines.

Cellaring: Decant upon opening, 7-12 years prime range from vintage – TFWC Tasting Panel, 2021

Owner’s Background: Rick Mirer is a former American football quarterback in the NFL after a successful collegiate career at the University of Notre Dame. Rick was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks with the second pick in the 1993 NFL Draft. He went on to play for the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders and Detroit Lions. It was during his time in the Bay Area from 2000 to 2003 that he fell in love with Napa Valley. After his retirement from football in 2004, Rick went out to find the best vineyards and winemaking team he could find to make his dream of starting Mirror Napa Valley a reality. He is now working with some of the most interesting sites in the valley, with some of the most talented people in the industry – Oscar Renteria and Kirk Venge.

Winemaker’s Notes: Hand harvested at peak ripeness of small concentrated clusters, from middle-aged vines rooted in the red dirt of clay loam soils on a gentle slope between the rising foothills and the valley floor. Traditional fermentation with 22 days on the skins, followed by native malolactic fermentation over the first 6 months, stirred in barrel, with a total of 29 months aging in 70% new French oak.

Tasting Notes: Dark fruit, brooding with black olive, toasted oak, and black licorice. A touch of violet opens to an energetic lift on the mid palate – stewed cherries and roasted capsicum – with tapering tannins and great acid structure. A meal eater’s wine, sure to pair perfectly with almost any braised short rib or grilled tri-tip that’s worth setting a fine table and inviting friends.