Happy #SauvBlanc Day -- Where it all begins, in our Carneros Estate Vineyard! #napa #wine twitter.com/cuvaison/statu…

We are excited to unveil our new Cuvaison label design. The new label reflects a true expression of our elegant wines while representing the modern, artful, and authentic vision displayed in our tasting rooms.
 

The Cuvaison Estate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are 100% estate grown wines that represent the unique and certified sustainable vineyard site which is our home in the heart of Carneros. Each wine is meticulously hand-crafted from vineyard blocks that have been vinified separately, chosen by Winemaker Steve Rogstad for the distinct characteristics each brings to the final blend. Complex, multi-layered, and highly nuanced, our estate wines represent uncompromised farming and winemaking from vine to bottle.

Our Single Block wines are sourced from distinct blocks within the Cuvaison estate vineyard that have the rare combination of climate, soil and aspect to yield fruit that is consistently outstanding year after year. These individual blocks produce “stand alone” wines that need no blending. Limited in production, they represent the highest and most complete expression of fruit from our Carneros estate.

Visit our Tasting Rooms to check out the new look and taste our delicious wines!

Cheers!

2012 Cuvaison Solitaire Sauvignon Blanc

Limited Production
Single Block Series

Our Sauvignon Blanc all comes from a singular, diamond-shaped block in our Carneros Estate. We ferment the wine in stainless steel at a cool temperature to capture and retain all the bright gooseberry, lemongrass and fresh citrus tones of this variety. Although aged on its lees to soften and enrobe the wine, it doesn’t go through malo-lactic fermentation as we want to retain the crisp minerality and vibrant acidity that is the focus of this "solitaire" wine.

2011 Cuvaison Estate Syrah

New Release
Estate Series

The hills of our Carneros Estate Vineyard are marked by shallow clay soils, barren land that restricts vigor and restrains energetic varieties like Syrah from their naturally, over productive tendencies. This is critical for two reasons; it allows Syrah to ripen in the chill of Carneros and it gives concentration and character to the ensuing wines. Our 2011 Syrah is just such an example. Smokey, peppery, jammy nose, with black cherry, blackberry and lavender notes. On the palate the wine is silky with spice and round tannins supporting the dense fruit and lively finish.

- Winemaker Steven Rogstad

2011 Brandlin Zinfandel Bald Mountain Vineyard

Limited Production, New Release
Estate Series

A shy vintage the 2011 Bald Mountain Zinfandel exhibits a complex mix of floral, fruit and earthy tones. Despite some fall rains, the sheer slopes of this mountain site effectively concentrate each berry. The general rich, jammy texture of this Zinfandel is accentuated with violets and rose petals, loganberry, boysenberry and a hint of soy and forest floor.

- Winemaker Steven Rogstad

Once we heard the rich stories about the Brandlin family, which dated back to their arrival to Mount Veeder in the 1870’s, we knew we had to do something to bring homage to this great family. They had grown wine grapes that entire time but never had their name on a label. While they made wine, it was only for their personal use with the rest being sold to wine producers. Chester told stories of his family taking grapes by wagon all the way to San Francisco before there were motorized trucks. 2003 was our first vintage of Brandlin Cabernet and I’ll always remember handing Chester that first bottle with his family name on it. We were all a bit teary that day.

You can read Chester’s obituary here.

Buy tickets here.

Learn more about the Boston Wine Festival here.

Karan from India; Tim, Production Manager; Elise from France; JP from South Africa

Everyone says that harvest is a lot of work, but you don't really understand it until you live it. Take it from first-time harvest intern Adam Gordon.

Twelve-hour days, 7 days a week, is a whole lot easier said than done. Often young interns are attracted to the wine-industry for the romance of winemaking or the glamour of wine country. They are passionate, educated, and eager to dive right in and get dirty. The physical demands are grueling, but the payoff is worth it.

Adam is a 24-year-old graduate from Purdue University whose passion for wine was sparked when he attended lectures taught by the Court of Master Sommeliers. Bit by the wine bug, he acquired Level I Certification from the Court of Master Sommeliers and founded a wine club at Purdue called the Purdue Wine Appreciation Society. While earning his BS in Hospitality and Management, he dreamed of moving to Napa to truly experience the famous wine and food culture. He set his sight on the prestigious Advanced Culinary Arts program at the Culinary Institute of America, located in Saint Helena, California.

During the program, he became the president of the CIA wine club. He experienced high-end aged wines and gained the knowledge of pairing food and wine. After completing the program, he worked as a line cook at Bottega restaurant in Yountville, thinking he wanted to work in the restaurant industry. But after a while, it was the upcoming harvest that naturally piqued his curiosity.

Adam heard about Cuvaison Estate Wines from an advisor at CIA who recommended Cuvaison as one of the best wineries to work for and learn from. After interviewing with the Winemaking team, he was very excited to be offered a position as a harvest intern for 2012! Along with three other interns -- Karan from India, JP from South Africa, and Elise from France – Adam was about to discover firsthand how much work goes into making wine…

What made you want to work harvest?
I wanted to gain the hands-on experience. I had never actually seen any of processes I had read about, such as pumpovers, pushdowns, racking, pressing, crushing, maceration, fermentation, and inoculations. I didn’t really know what to expect!

What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned?
The amount of hard work and hands that go into the process. It’s very different than working in a kitchen -- and much more physically demanding.

What is your most favorite or most challenging task?
Favorite task would be replacing all the barrel bungs. During fermentation, soft, breathable bungs are used which allow CO2 to escape. At the right time, the soft bungs need to be replaced with hard bungs for aging. It was fun to climb up the high barrel racks and throw the bungs down to be collected. Originally, the most difficult task was to fill the barrels with finished wine because you were responsible for carefully monitoring how fast the barrels fill. The pump is very fast, and if the barrel becomes too full too quickly, the wine explodes out like a fire hydrant. The margin of error is very small, but once I got the hang of it, there was a great feeling of accomplishment.

If you could have any job in the wine industry, what would it be?
To be the President of a winery. I would love to travel and meet distributors and trade. It would combine everything I love: wine, food, and travel.

What surprised you the most about harvest and about the wine-making process?
The amount of work that constantly needs to get done. There is no down-time and the days are long. I was surprised by all the new tasks to learn, especially regarding inoculations.
I didn’t realize the amount of science and precision involved. Steve Rogstad, the Winemaker, has such a wealth of knowledge and was very willing to teach and answer any questions. I’m grateful for the time he gave all the interns and for the education we received. We got to participate with Steve in barrel and tank tastings to learn what was happening in each stage of the process. Learning how wine is made from start to finish, how the science and art converge, was very eye-opening.

What was the high and low of harvest?
High was the harvest party. It was such a great way to celebrate and I had a real sense of accomplishment. It’s also been great working with all the friends I’ve made at Cuvaison. The low was probably feeling the pressure to finish all your work, but it’s all part of harvest.

Would you work another harvest?
Yes, absolutely, but now I know what I’m getting myself into…

"One of Cuvaison's best basic Pinots in years,
this is charming with its dry, crisp structure,
silky elegance and fine flavors of raspberries,
cherries and toasty oak...”

-- Steve Heimoff, Wine Enthusiast

Winemaker Notes by Steven Rogstad
 
A tremendous year for Pinot Noir in Carneros, La Nina conditions set up a long cool growing season with just a few bumps on the way. Our 2010 possesses vibrant notes of cherry, raspberry, and pomegranate with hints of allspice and sassafras. On the palate the wine is quite dense with both red and black fruits, especially cherry and boysenberry coming to the fore. The coolness of the wine really forges the finish with fine tannins and bright minerality to the long aftertaste.
 

Watch as the team sorts and processes the Pinot Noir grapes

Check out the photo album on Facebook!