2014 DeSante, The Old Vines, Napa Valley, California, USA

2014 DeSante, The Old Vines, Napa Valley, California, USA

Product: 20148001382
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2014 DeSante, The Old Vines, Napa Valley, California, USA

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Description

The youngest vines here are a mere 50 years old, but most are fast approaching 90 years of age and are largely on their own rootstocks. A field blend of many varieties including Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Vert, Tocai Fruilano, Chasselas and Sémillon, yields are incredibly low and trellising is non-existent. The concentration is mind-blowing and, at 12 percent alcohol, this wine is tightly wound. The lees contact is highlighted by aromas of toasted nuts and brioche, as well as an additional depth and phenolic grip on the mid-palate. There is tense, taut acidity, with a savoury core that persists rather subtly on the finish. 
Fiona Hayes, Wine Buyer

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About this WINE

DeSante

DeSante

Based in Napa, Katharine and David are the husband and wife team that make up DeSante. David had dreamed of making wine from a young age, although it was only after a brief stint at medical school – and meeting Katharine – that he followed his dreams, embarking on his studies at UC Davis.

After time spent in Margaret River, Western Australia – Katharine at Pierro and David at the biodynamic Cullen, the couple returned to California, and eventually started their own label in 2001. They work with old vines and unusual varieties, as well as more traditional Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Cabernet.

Their top “Proof” red and white take their name from an extraordinary vineyard. Farmed by two ladies in their 60s, Proof vineyard is surrounded by fruit trees – with its produce primarily going to a local hospital, and until the DeSantes happened upon it, wasn’t used for wine. After grapes have been picked for the hospital, the DeSantes get the pick of what’s left – meaning small volumes and a blend that changes each year. Planted to Green Hungarian, Golden Chasselas, Sauvignon Vert, Alicante Bouschet, Petite Sirah and many other varieties, dry-farmed (the well failed in the 1950s), with the oldest vines dating back to the 1890s – this is Napa, but not as you know it.

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Napa Valley

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.

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Other Varieties

Other Varieties

There are over 200 different grape varieties used in modern wine making (from a total of over 1000). Most lesser known blends and varieties are traditional to specific parts of the world.

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