Perched high above Lake Hennessey in the Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon dominates this mountainous site. Aerial views of this vineyard give an insider’s look to the intricate patchwork of blocks on steep hillsides and terraces. Some vines are so close to the edge, you wonder, how will this survive? And yet, they thrive. A good part of that success is the soil, the dynamic climate, and the meticulous farming at this high-elevation mountain vineyard.

Our soil story endures with the uplifting of ancient shallow seabeds, plate tectonics, and glaciation that continues over millennia with the erosion and transportation of old metamorphic rock created under intense heat and pressure. The present day chapter is set in a unique mixture of well- to excessively-drained sedimentary and metamorphic soils underlain by a bedrock of Franciscan complex. Silty clay loams with varying depths, mixtures of gravels, and fractured rock undulate among the steep slopes. The primary soil classifications are Bresse-Dibble complex, Maymen-Millshom-Lodo association, Shale & Sandstone rock outcrop, and Sobrante loam.

The site’s warmth is tempered by the interior range location with air flow from a variety of directions – Lake Hennessey, Alexander Valley, and the Mayacamas. This translates to lingering days of sun exposure that can quickly turn to blustery afternoons as well as earlier budbreak, an arid environment, and consistent growth. Everything that is a hallmark of quality mountain fruit.

The 2019 Sage Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon, hailing from high above Lake Hennessy just across form illustrious Pritchard Hill area, is a true testament to the exceptional terroir of this renowned region. It combines boldness and opulence with refinement and sophistication to create top-tier Cabernet.