2019 Ink Grade, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California, USA

Ink Grade

Precariously clinging to the side of Howell Mountain in Napa Valley, Ink Grade is a newly founded estate with historic vines that genuinely express their terroir. The property’s history goes back to 1873 when Ulysses S. Grant signed over a land deed for the site located on Howell Mountain. Ink Grade was once part of Heitz Cellar. Heitz purchased the property in 1989 and planted it in 1990 and 1991. Most of the fruit was sold to other producers under the Heitz family, but the brilliance of the Howell Mountain terroir spoke loudly, and in 2020, the property was launched as a standalone project.

The wines are crafted to showcase richness without heaviness, to represent a sense of place! - “Ink Grade is important for upholding the region’s heritage and the excitement of discovering beautiful vineyard locations, hidden like gems within this Valley. The wines showcase the direct relationship between the volcanic soil of Howell Mountain and the purity of the fruit it produces,” says Carlton McCoy. “A true artefact of a place, Ink Grade is truly a grand cru of Howell Mountain.”

Matt Taylor is the winemaker; having joined in 2020, he brings vast experience, having held positions at Joseph Swan along with Domaine Dujac. His lightness of touch with the likes of Pinot Noir has adapted perfectly to this world-class terroir. “Terraced on the extreme slopes of Howell Mountain, Ink Grade Estate possesses a raw tension that renders fruit of immense intensity and depth. If ever there was a site which imparted a feeling of reverence, Ink Grade is such a place.” — Matt Taylor, Winemaker.

Napa Valley

North Coast's Napa Valley is California's most famous viticultural area (AVA), claiming some of the most expensive agricultural land in the world and producing wines of ‘cult’ status.

Its 16,000 ha of vines lie over a strip (40 miles long-5 miles wide) of diverse soils (clay, gravely, volcanic), with its northernmost end on the side of Mountain Helena and its foot in San Francisco Bay. The valley is framed by two mountains ranges Vaca (to the north) and Mayacamas (to the south), yet the main climatic influence is the cool wind and fog that is sucked in from San Pablo Bay during the afternoon, allowing grapes to ripen slowly and evenly. 

The area enjoys a variety of unique microclimates, as temperatures can vary dramatically as much as 15 degrees, from the north to the south end of the valley. These differences have led to the creation of several sub-AVAs (14 in total) including:

Atlas Peak, Chiles Valley District, Diamond Mountain District, Howell Mountain, Los Carneros, Mt. Veeder, Oakville, Rutherford, St. Helena, Spring Mountain District, Stags Leap District, Yountville, Wild Horse Valley and Oak Knoll District. The Calistoga AVA is still pending approval.

Both the “Napa Valley” designation and the sub-AVA name must appear on the wine label simultaneously, with the exception of wines from the Carneros AVA, which is shared between the Napa Valley and the Sonoma County.

Cabernet Sauvignon is the undisputed king of Napa grapes, occupying over 45% of the vineyard acreage, followed by (predominantly) Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Riesling, Zinfandel, Merlot, Cab. Franc and to a lesser extent Petite Sirah, Sangiovese, Barbera, Dolcetto.

Recommended Producers
Frog's Leap, Dominus, David Ramey, Viader, Stag's Leap Cellars, Paras Vineyards, Heitz.

Cabernet Sauvignon

The most famous red wine grape in the world and one of the most widely planted.

It is adaptable to a wide range of soils, although it performs particularly well on well-drained, low-fertile soils. It has small, dusty, black-blue berries with thick skins that produce deeply coloured, full-bodied wines with notable tannins. Its spiritual home is the Médoc and Graves regions of Bordeaux where it thrives on the well-drained gravel-rich soils producing tannic wines with piercing blackcurrant fruits that develop complex cedarwood and cigar box nuances when fully mature.

The grape is widely planted in California where Cabernet Sauvignon based wines are distinguished by their rich mixture of cassis, mint, eucalyptus and vanilla oak. It is planted across Australia and with particular success in Coonawarra where it is suited to the famed Terra Rossa soil. In Italy barrique aged Cabernet Sauvignon is a key component in Super Tuscans such as Tignanello and Sassicaia, either on its own or as part of a blend with Sangiovese.