2021 Hommage Red Blend, Napa Valley

90% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon & 5% Petit Verdot

Dark red in the glass, our 2021 Hommage Red Wine is bursting with ripe blackberry, black cherries, earthy tobacco, and notes of cassis. On the palate, the black fruits linger and mix with dried herbs and toasted oak which are surrounded by strong, persistent tannins and notes of dark chocolate. This wine is bold and sensuous with a silky texture and lengthy finish that pairs perfectly with lamb tagine, fragrant couscous, and grilled sourdough bread with olive tapenade.

Each block hand harvested individually and brought to the winery where the clusters were sorted again before being destemmed, with 50% crushed and 50% whole berries in the fermentation. The must was then allowed 2-4 days cold soak followed by a warm fermentation using a variety of different yeast strains. With two pump overs a day the wine was only pressed off the skins when dry. It was then sent to barrel to undergo malolactic fermentation (lasting 6 months). Once this was complete it was racked one more time and then allowed to rest in barrel in our caves.

Our Tenma Vineyard is located in the foothills of Mount St. Helena northeast of the town of Calistoga. These 40 acres of rugged land are part of an alluvial fan spilling out from the Palisades Mountains in the northeast corner of the Napa Valley. The rocky terrain here is well-drained with a very sparse topsoil which is a perfect combination for growing world-class grapes when combined with the climate of Napa Valley. We also source from our Mitsuko’s Vineyard in Carneros, providing a perfect balance to the Hommage red wine. Located south of Highway 121 in the cooler part of Napa Carneros, it has proved to have an abundance of ideal sites for many Bordeaux varietals. Since its purchase as bare land in 1989, we have continually renewed our plantings to optimize the wine grape quality potential of each block by determining the best clones to match each soil type.