Not Available For Purchase
Tasting Notes & Food Pairings
A dense, ripe, perfumed nose of blackberry, black plum and blackcurrant, coupled with intriguing lavender, loam, spice and mineral scents, prefaces an immensely concentrated palate packed with intense, potent, blackberry, cassis, mission fig and dark chocolate flavors beautifully structured by firm, supple tannins. Incredibly focused, with a spellbindingly long finish showcasing savory black cherry, spice and mineral tones, this remarkable cabernet sauvignon, among Napa Valley’s most distinctive, will age beautifully for a decade or more.
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Vineyards
Our 2012 Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon comes from three special blocks of vines – and two distinctive cabernet clones – in the acclaimed Vine Hill Ranch in Napa Valley’s western benchlands near Oakville. We have purchased these grapes from the Philips family, owner of Vine Hill Ranch, since 1981, and they have consistently produced superb, long-lived wines. Hand-harvested at night to preserve the fruit’s freshness and varietal purity, each of the three lots was fermented and barrel-aged separately. After assessing the distinctive personality of each wine, we blended the three to create a uniquely complex and intense cabernet sauvignon that speaks eloquently of its provenance.
Vintage
2012 was a truly spectacular growing season in Napa Valley, with a warm, dry spring fostering early budbreak and trouble-free flowering and grape set. Consistently mild summer weather free of rain or unwelcome heat spikes allowed us to harvest our Vine Hill Ranch grapes at peak maturity with a perfect balance of deeply concentrated fruit flavors, bright acidity and ripe, supple tannins.
Winemaking
Cakebread Cellars winemaker Julianne Laks employs traditional artisan winemaking techniques to maximize the extraction of color, flavor and tannin from our Vine Hill Ranch fruit. After the grapes are crushed, the juice from each lot is cold-soaked for 48 hours to enhance texture, depth and intensity prior to initiating fermentation with a cultured French yeast strain. Once fermentation completes, the wines enjoy an extended maceration on their skins to further extract color and flavor while softening tannins. The 2012 Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon spent 21 months in French oak barrels, 55% new, before bottling on July 28th, 2014.
Quantity is limited. Call the winery at (800) 588 - 0298
Tasting Notes & Food Pairings
Highly aromatic notes of blackberry, boysenberry, cassis and dark plum are complemented by hints of loam, mineral and dark chocolate Rich, concentrated and vibrant on the palate, the wine’s deep, intense, blackberry, boysenberry, and blackcurrant flavors are balanced by uncharacteristically mild tannins and persist throughout a long, savory finish featuring spice, mineral and dark chocolate tones. More accessible in its youth than previous vintages of Vine Hill, this intense, yet elegant Cabernet Sauvignon will nonetheless benefit from a decade of additional bottle aging.
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Vineyards
The fruit for this highly distinctive cabernet sauvignon comes from three special blocks of vines incorporating two distinctive Cabernet Sauvignon clones grown in the renowned Vine Hill Ranch in Napa Valley’s western benchlands near Oakville. We have purchased these grapes since 1982, and they have consistently produced singular, long-lived wines. Hand-harvested at night to ensure the fruit’s freshness and varietal purity, each of the three lots is separately fermented and barrel-aged. After assessing the distinctive personality of each wine, we blend the three to create a uniquely complex and intense cabernet sauvignon that speaks eloquently of its terroir.
Vintage
2014 was another in a series of excellent vintages in northern California. After a rainy February, which rejuvenated the vines, a warm, dry spring led to early bud-break, flowering and grape set. Summer was consistently mild with few heat spikes, allowing our cabernet sauvignon grapes to ripen slowly and evenly with impressively concentrated flavors.
Winemaking
Cakebread Cellars winemaker Julianne Laks utilizes traditional artisan winemaking techniques to maximize the singular character of our Vine Hill fruit. After the grapes are crushed, the must (unfermented juice and skins) from each of the three vineyard lots is cold-soaked separately for 48 hours to extract color, aromas and flavors prior to initiating fermentation with a cultured French yeast strain. To emphasize vineyard characteristics, fermentation techniques suit this individual site with a warm fermentation and gentle tannin extraction. Once fermentation completes, the wines enjoy an extended maceration on their skins to fully extract color and flavor and soften tannins. Our 2014 Vine Hill Cabernet Sauvignon aged 21 months in French oak barrels, 61% new, before bottling on July 19th, 2016.
Quantity is limited. Call the winery at (800) 588 - 0298
Tasting Notes & Food Pairings
Our 2007 Vine Hill Cabernet Sauvignon offers a multifaceted bouquet of wonderfully bright, deeply concentrated black fruits – wild blackberry, black cherry and dark plum – complemented by fascinating dusty earth, cocoa, flint, mineral and toasty oak scents. On the full-bodied, seamlessly integrated palate, the wine’s intense and beautifully focused blackberry, cassis, dark cherry, plum and dark chocolate flavors gain a refreshing lift of acidity in the long, persistent finish. With great reserves of fruit, flawless structure, supple, beautifully integrated tannins and a distinctive personality derived from the unique attributes of Vine Hill Ranch, this stunning Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, from a great vintage, will age beautifully in bottle for a decade or more, although it drinks deliciously now.
Excellent with rich red meats and game.
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Vineyards
Our Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon comes from four distinctive blocks of vines – each planted to a different clone – in the acclaimed Vine Hill Ranch in Napa Valley’s gently sloping western benchlands near Oakville. We have purchased these grapes for nearly 30 years, and they have consistently produced superb, long-lived wines. Each block is hand-harvested separately at night to preserve the fruit’s fresh, pure character, and fermented and barrel-aged separately. After assessing the distinctive personality of each lot, we blend the four together to forge a uniquely complex and harmonious wine that speaks eloquently of its provenance.
Vintage
2007 was an exceptional vintage for cabernet sauvignon in Napa Valley. A dry, mild winter and unusually warm spring prompted early budbreak and bloom, followed by a perfect grape set in June. Summer was consistently mild, with warm days and cool nights, ideal conditions for achieving maximum ripening and flavor development while retaining healthy levels of acidity. A warm early September and a modest crop got the harvest off to an early, fast-paced start, allowing us to pick our four special blocks of Vine Hill fruit between September 18th and 25th.
Winemaking
To ensure maximum extraction of color, flavor and tannin from our Vine Hill grapes, Cakebread Cellars winemaker Julianne Laks employs traditional artisan winemaking techniques. After the grapes are crushed, the juice from each lot is cold-soaked for 48 hours prior to initiating fermentation with a cultured French yeast strain that enhances texture, depth and intensity. Once fermentation completes, the wines enjoy an extended, three-week maceration on their skins to further extract color and flavor while softening tannins. The 2007 Vine Hill Cabernet Sauvignon spent 22 months aging in French oak barrels, 54% new, prior to bottling in August, 2009.
Not Available For Purchase
Tasting Notes & Food Pairings
Our 2008 Vine Hill Cabernet Sauvignon boasts marvelously fresh, high-toned and complex aromas of blackberry, fig, floral spice, mineral, earth, flint and cocoa. This beautiful bouquet introduces intense, densely textured and finely focused black fruit flavors that track seamlessly across the palate and culminate in an extremely long, supple and fruitful finish enhanced by bright acidity and savory dark chocolate tones. Possessing deep reserves of fruit, classic structure and the inimitable personality of a truly great vineyard, this stunning Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, from a small-yielding, but fine vintage, will age beautifully in bottle for a decade or more, although it drinks beautifully now.
An excellent companion to beef, rich pork dishes and game.
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Vineyards
We craft our Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon from four special blocks of vines – each planted to a different clone – grown in the acclaimed Vine Hill Ranch in Napa Valley’s gently sloping western benchlands in the Oakville AVA. We have purchased these grapes for 30 years, and they have consistently produced superb, long-lived wines. Each block is hand-harvested separately at night to preserve the fruit’s fresh, pure character, and fermented and barrel-aged separately. After assessing the distinctive personality of each lot, we blend the four together to forge a uniquely complex and harmonious wine that speaks eloquently of its provenance.
Vintage
The topsy-turvy 2008 growing season seesawed from heavy rains in winter to drought conditions in early spring to severe frosts in late March and throughout April. Coupled with inclement weather during bloom and stress-inducing heat during grape set, these conditions significantly reduced the size of the grape crop throughout Napa Valley, greatly concentrating flavors. Clear, mild summer weather, with warm days and cool nights, provided ideal conditions for the full maturation of our Vine Hill Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, which were harvested between September 25th and October 11th with a perfect balance of sugar and acidity.
Winemaking
Cakebread Cellars winemaker Julianne Laks employs traditional artisan winemaking techniques to maximize the extraction of color, flavor and tannin from our Vine Hill Ranch fruit. After the grapes are crushed, the juice from each lot is cold-soaked for 48 hours prior to initiating fermentation with a cultured French yeast strain that enhances texture, depth and intensity. Once fermentation completes, the wines enjoy an extended, three-week maceration on their skins to further extract color and flavor while softening tannins. In all, the 2008 Vine Hill Cabernet Sauvignon spent 22 months in French oak barrels, 48% new, prior to bottling in August, 2010.
Not Available For Purchase
Tasting Notes & Food Pairings
Our 2009 Vine Hill Cabernet Sauvignon boasts a beautifully deep, dark ruby hue and characteristically intense, youthfully brooding black fruit aromas complemented by wonderfully complex scents of earth, slate, mineral, spice and cocoa. Dense, sinewy and immensely concentrated on the palate, it offers extremely rich boysenberry, fig, wild blackberry, plum compote and cassis flavors accented by the intriguing earth, mineral and spice tones that suffuse its long, flavor-packed finish. Although this classic Napa Valley single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is wonderfully appealing now, its incredible depth, length and intensity suggest it will develop beautifully in bottle for at least a decade.
April 30, 2013
91 points
Wine Spectator
Very appealing, with a pleasant mix of dark berry, mocha, dried herb and underbrush, tightly focused, firmly tannic and persistent. Drink now through 2024. Wine Spectator Magazine as rated our 2009 Vine Hill Ranch with 91 points. (April 30, 2013)
Excellent with rich red meats and game.
View recipes that complement this wine
Vineyards
We craft our Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon from four special blocks of vines – each planted to a different clone – grown in the acclaimed Vine Hill Ranch in Napa Valley’s gently sloping western benchlands near Oakville. We have purchased these grapes for over 30 years, and they have consistently produced superb, long-lived wines. Each block is hand-harvested separately at night to preserve the fruit’s fresh, pure character, and fermented and barrel-aged separately. After assessing the distinctive personality of each lot, we blend them together to forge a uniquely complex and harmonious wine that speaks eloquently of its provenance.
Vintage
In 2009, plentiful spring rains in Napa Valley deferred the need for early irrigation, resulting in especially small Cabernet Sauvignon berries with deeply concentrated flavors. Summer was consistently cool, which allowed for slow, steady ripening and the parallel development of grape sugars and flavors, resulting in superbly balanced wines. We harvested the grapes for our 2009 Vine Hill Cabernet Sauvignon between September 28th and October 9th with an exemplary balance of ripe fruit flavors, supple tannins and bright acidity.
Winemaking
Cakebread Cellars winemaker Julianne Laks employs traditional artisan winemaking techniques to maximize the extraction of color, flavor and tannin from our Vine Hill Ranch fruit. After the grapes are crushed, the juice from each lot is cold-soaked for 48 hours prior to initiating fermentation with a cultured French yeast strain that enhances texture, depth and intensity. Once fermentation completes, the wines enjoy an extended, three-week maceration on their skins to further extract color and flavor while softening tannins. In all, the 2009 Vine Hill Cabernet Sauvignon spent 20 months aging in French oak barrels, 48% new, before bottling in July, 2011.
Not Available For Purchase
Tasting Notes & Food Pairings
The 2010 vintage of our Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon showcases the wine’s typically dense, complex aromas of ripe black fruits, plum compote, earth, slate, mineral and spice. Its intensely rich and deeply concentrated blackberry, fig, boysenberry and dark plum flavors – with undertones of mineral, spice and roasted coffee – are framed by firm, but supple tannins and culminate in a long, beautifully structured finish. Tightly wound in its youth, the Vine Hill Ranch is always impressive on release, but handsomely repays up to a decade of cellaring.
Excellent with rich red meats and game.
View recipes that complement this wine
Vineyards
Our Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon comes from four special blocks of vines – each planted to a different clone – in the acclaimed Vine Hill Ranch in Napa Valley’s gently sloping western benchlands near Oakville. We have purchased from this vineyard for over 30 years, and they have consistently produced superb, long-lived wines. Each block is hand-harvested separately at night to preserve the fruit’s fresh, pure character, and fermented and barrel-aged separately. After assessing the distinctive personality of each lot, we blend them together to forge a uniquely complex and harmonious wine that speaks eloquently of its provenance.
Vintage
2010 was a notably cool growing season in California. The year began with substantial rainfall, which pushed back bud break, flowering and grape set by several weeks. After an unusually cool summer, heat spikes in late August kick-started full ripening. Cooler temperatures returned in early September, extending the growing season and ensuring that our Vine Hill Ranch grapes were harvested with a perfect balance of sugar and acidity.
Winemaking
Cakebread Cellars winemaker Julianne Laks employs traditional artisan winemaking techniques to maximize the extraction of color, flavor and tannin from our Vine Hill Ranch fruit. After the grapes are crushed, the juice from each lot is cold-soaked for 48 hours prior to initiating fermentation with a cultured French yeast strain that enhances texture, depth and intensity. Once fermentation completes, the wines enjoy an extended, three-week maceration on their skins to further extract color and flavor while softening tannins. The 2010 Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon spent 19 months aging in French oak barrels, 32% new, before bottling in April, 2012.
Not Available For Purchase
Tasting Notes & Food Pairings
Our 2005 Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon boasts fresh, ripe, cassis, blackberry and black fig aromas complemented by dark chocolate, roasted coffee, briary spice and earthy mineral tones. Impressively dense and concentrated on the palate, with tightly woven, spicy blackberry and dark chocolate flavors, the wine showcases its depth and intensity in a dramatically lengthy, mineral-infused finish. Although this potent, single-vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is tempting now, it will blossom fully with 8-10 years of additional bottle age.
July 14, 2008
93 points
Wine Spectator
Beautifully defined fruit, with layers of red currant, black cherry, plum and wild berry, shaded by hints of cedary oak, spice and floral scents, all of which are well-proportioned, elegant and stylish, with a long, tight, persistent finish. Drink now through 2016.
Wine Spectator gave this wine a score of 93 points.
Excellent with rich red meats and game.
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Vineyards
Our 2005 Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon was crafted from four special blocks of grapes grown in the acclaimed Vine Hill Ranch along Oakville’s gently sloping western benchlands. We have been purchasing grapes from Vine Hill Ranch owner Bob Phillips and his family since 1981, and they consistently yield exceptionally intense, concentrated and complex Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons, especially in great red-wine vintages like 2005.
Vintage
In 2005, a warm late winter spurred early bud break, but cool, wet, spring weather set back vine development. Atypically cool temperatures continued throughout the summer, which slowed ripening and prolonged the growing season. Warm, sunny weather in September and October, however, brought the harvest to fruition in fine fashion. Due to the early start to the season and its late conclusion, the grapes for our 2005 Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon enjoyed a long hang time on the vine and were harvested between October 15th and 20th.
Winemaking
Cakebread Cellars’ winemaker Julianne Laks utilizes traditional artisan winemaking techniques with our Vine Hill Ranch fruit to ensure maximum extraction of color, flavor and tannin. After crushing the grapes, the juice is cold-soaked for 48 hours before fermentation is initiated with a cultured French yeast strain that enhances mid-palate texture, depth and intensity. After fermentation completes, the wine enjoys an extended, 20-day maceration on the skins to further extract color and flavor while softening tannins. We then gently drain the free run wine from the skins and age it in French oak barrels. The 2005 Vine Hill Ranch aged 22 months in French oak, 35% new, before bottling in July, 2007.
Not Available For Purchase
Tasting Notes & Food Pairings
The 1998 Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon has aromas of red berries, cedar, vanilla and a touch of oak. Hints of blackberries, blueberries, herbs, black pepper and vanilla show on the palate. Following tradition, this Cakebread Cellars’ reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is a wonderful integration of rich, ripe black-fruit flavors, a soft, round texture and a finish of firm, lingering tannins.
Excellent with rich red meats and game.
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Vineyards
Since 1981, Cakebread Cellars has worked hand-in-hand with the Phillips Family, owners of the highly acclaimed Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards grown at their Vine Hill Ranch in Oakville. Their vineyards are situated along the gently sloping western foothills known as the “benchlands.” The grapes from this property have a long history of producing an elegant, rich wine that until now has been reserved exclusively for our finest Cabernet blends.
Vintage
Following the example of the outstanding 1997 vintage, the 1998 Cakebread Cellars Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon was harvested a vineyard block at a time over a two-week period. We then kept the wine made from each block separate as each one is grown on a different rootstock, creating decidedly different flavors and aromas. Working with separate, small lots of wine from this vintage, Winemaker Bruce Cakebread then assembled the best and most representative Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon possible.
Winemaking
More than simply highlighting the fruit from an exceptional vineyard in an excellent growing year, the Cakebread and Phillips’ families regard this second release of Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon as a tribute to their decades-long relationship.
Not Available For Purchase
Tasting Notes & Food Pairings
Our 2006 Vine Hill Cabernet Sauvignon offers fresh, deeply concentrated aromas of ripe black currant, dark cherry and wild blackberry fruit, with whiffs of cocoa, earth and mineral adding dimension and intrigue. On the palate, the wine’s remarkably focused blackberry, cassis, cherry, plum and dark chocolate flavors persist and expand throughout a long, fruitful finish, with mineral tones adding length and refreshment. A big structured wine, with full firm tannins, bright acidity and a core of intense fruit, this exceptional Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon will profit from up to a decade of bottle aging, although Vine Hill enthusiasts may be hard-pressed to resist it now.
Excellent with rich red meats and game.
View recipes that complement this wine
Vineyards
Our 2006 Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon was crafted from five specific blocks of grapes – each planted to a different clone – in the acclaimed Vine Hill Ranch along Oakville’s gently sloping western benchlands. We have purchased these grapes from Vine Hill since 1981, and they consistently yield exceptionally intense, concentrated, long-lived Napa Valley cabernet sauvignons. The blocks are hand-harvested separately at night to preserve the fresh, pure character of the grapes, and also fermented separately. After assessing the distinctive personality of each lot, the wines are blended the following spring to ensure a complex, harmonious wine.
Vintage
In 2006, a wet spring delayed budbreak and set back vine growth through June. A hot spell in mid-July quickened vine development and sugar accumulation, but August brought a return to cooler temperatures, which persisted through the balance of the growing season. This mild, classic late-summer and early-fall weather pattern allowed for slow, even ripening of our Vine Hill grapes, which were harvested on October 23rd and 24th.
Winemaking
Cakebread Cellars winemaker Julianne Laks utilizes traditional artisan winemaking techniques with our Vine Hill fruit to ensure maximum extraction of color, flavor and tannin. After crushing the grapes from the various vineyard blocks, the juice from each lot is cold-soaked 48 hours prior to being fermented with a cultured French yeast strain that enhances mid-palate texture, depth and intensity. Once fermentation completes, the wines enjoy an extended, 20-day maceration on their skins to further extract color and flavor while softening tannins. The 2006 Vine Hill Cabernet Sauvignon, blended in March, 2007, spent a total of 27 months aging in French oak barrels, 50% new, prior to bottling in April, 2009.
Not Available For Purchase
Tasting Notes & Food Pairings
Our 2004 Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon boasts intense, concentrated aromas of dusty black fruits, ripe figs, violets, dark chocolate, warm baking spices and minerals. The big, concentrated palate delivers impressively deep, expansive flavors of cassis, black fig, spicy blackberry, and chocolate with an intriguing streak of minerality asserting itself in the long, firmly structured finish. Although this powerful, single-vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is difficult to resist now, especially with grilled red meats, it will cellar beautifully for another 8-10 years.
Excellent with rich red meats and game.
View recipes that complement this wine
Vineyards
Our single-vineyard Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon is produced from several special blocks of grapes grown in the acclaimed Vine Hill Ranch along Oakville’s gently sloping western benchlands. We have been purchasing these grapes from Vine Hill Ranch owner Bob Phillips since 1981, and they consistently yield exceptionally intense, concentrated and complex Cabernet Sauvignons that annually rank among Napa Valley’s finest.
Vintage
In 2004, a balmy late winter, consistently warm spring and summer temperatures, and several late-summer heat spells resulted in the earliest Cabernet Sauvignon harvest in Napa Valley since 1981. The early budbreak, combined with light crop loads, produced grape clusters with small berries and intense, concentrated flavors, resulting in wines of great depth, concentration and structure. The grapes for our 2004 Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon were harvested with a superb balance of ripe fruit flavors and fresh acidity between September 4th and September 17th.
Winemaking
We utilize traditional artisan winemaking techniques with the Vine Hill Ranch fruit to ensure the maximum extraction of color, flavor and tannin. After crushing the grapes, the juice is cold-soaked for 48 hours before fermentation is initiated with a cultured yeast strain. In 2004, we used a single French strain that enhances mid-palate texture, depth and intensity. After fermentation completed, and the wine enjoyed an extended maceration on the skins to further extract color and flavor while softening tannins, we gently drained the free run wine from the skins and aged it in French oak barrels for 22 months, 63% new, before bottling in August 2006.
Not Available For Purchase
Tasting Notes & Food Pairings
Our 2003 Vine Hill Cabernet Sauvignon opens with complex, come-hither aromas of ripe blackberry fruit mingled with notes of milk chocolate, fig and sweet brown spices. On the palate, the wine delivers intense, concentrated, spicy blackberry flavors full of the classic ‘dusty’ character for which mid-Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is famed. Youthfully compact, with sturdy, well-integrated tannins, this classic Napa Valley Cabernet is difficult to resist now, but it should be cellared for a minimum of five years to ensure maximum enjoyment, and will continue developing in the bottle for at least five years after that.
Excellent with rich red meats and game.
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Vineyards
The grapes for our Vine Hill Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley, which is produced in very limited quantities, come from two special blocks of the acclaimed Vine Hill Ranch along Oakville’s gently sloping western benchlands which is owned by the Phillips family. We have been working with Bob and Alex Phillips since 1981 and continue to do so with Bruce Phillips. These blocks produce fruit with exceptionally intense, concentrated flavors. In 2003, the grapes were harvested on October 16th and 17th at peak maturity.
Vintage
In 2003, a warm early spring gave way to cool, wet weather in April, which set back vine development. Seasonally temperate weather prevailed from May through July, but a cool pattern returned in August, delaying ripening. By early September, warm, sunny days and clear, cool nights were again the norm, and hot weather during the latter half of September sent us scurrying to harvest early-ripening varieties. October, however, brought classic autumn weather, with crisp mornings, warm afternoons and cool evenings, extending the harvest by several weeks and enabling us to pick our Cabernet Sauvignon grapes at ideal sugar levels. Red wines from the topsy-turvy 2003 harvest are rich and deeply colored, with excellent concentration and balance.
Winemaking
We utilize traditional fermentation techniques with the Vine Hill fruit to ensure complete extraction of its deep color, intense flavors and smooth, ripe tannins. After crushing, the juice is cold soaked for 48 hours before fermentation is initiated. Once fermentation begins, the juice is drained from one tank to another, allowing the skins in the first tank to fall to the bottom, only to be thoroughly re-macerated once the juice is splashed back into the tank, a technique known as rack-and-return. In addition to extracting more color and flavor, the aeration this technique affords converts short-chain (harsh) tannins to long-chain (suppler) tannins. After an extended maceration, the wine is gently drained from the skins and the free run juice transferred to French oak barrels. The skins are then pressed, and the resulting ‘press fraction’ kept separate. The 2003 Vine Hill aged 22 months in 37% new French barrels before being bottled in August 2005.
Not Available For Purchase
Tasting Notes & Food Pairings
Our 2002 Vine Hill Cabernet Sauvignon reveals a wealth of toasty blackberry fruit in the nose overlaid with a pronounced creamy, milk chocolate tone. In the mouth, the wine is deep and concentrated, with intense black fruit and chocolate flavors that turn spicy in the long finish. Compactly structured, with firm, balanced tannins, this beautiful Napa Valley Cabernet should be cellared for a minimum of five years for maximum enjoyment and will continue developing in the bottle for at least five years after that.
Excellent with rich red meats and game.
View recipes that complement this wine
Vineyards
The grapes for our Napa Valley Vine Hill Cabernet Sauvignon, which is produced in very limited quantities, come from the acclaimed Vine Hill Vineyard along Oakville’s gently sloping western benchlands. The vineyard has long been owned by grower Bob Phillips and his family, and we’ve been fortunate to work with them for over two decades, using Vine Hill grapes in our Benchland Select Cabernet Sauvignon since 1995. In 1997, we decided the fruit from this exceptional vineyard merited its own bottling, so we began producing a Vine Hill Cabernet Sauvignon from two special blocks of Bob’s vines. Vine Hill has since become one of Cakebread Cellars’ most coveted wines. In 2002, the fruit was harvested October 4th - 8th in ideal condition.
Vintage
In 2002, Napa Valley enjoyed a long, mild growing season of consistently warm days and cool nights, with just a few manageable heat spikes in late September and early October. With an expectation of healthy yields, many growers significantly thinned their crops and pruned shoots and leaves extensively to guarantee the vines put all their energy into ripening the remaining grape clusters, ensuring highly concentrated, complex fruit flavors. Cakebread Cellars further maximized grape quality by using advanced soil moisture management techniques to precisely calibrate the amount of water required by the vines at critical junctures throughout the season.
Winemaking
After the fruit was crushed, the juice and skins were moved to tank and allowed to cold soak for 72 hours before fermentation was initiated, a procedure designed to extract color and enhance flavor. Once fermentation got underway, the juice was drained from one tank to another, allowing the skins in the first tank to fall to the bottom, only to be thoroughly re-macerated once the juice was splashed back into the tank. Known as rack-and-return, this procedure helps diffuse pigment and tannins from the grape and also converts short-chain (harsh) tannins to long-chain (suppler) tannins. After an extended, four-week maceration, the wine was transferred to French oak barrels, 75% new, where it spent 18 months aging before being bottled in August 2004.
Not Available For Purchase
Tasting Notes & Food Pairings
Our 2001 Vine Hill Cabernet Sauvignon displays the deep, rich fruit and superb tannin structure characteristic of this magnificent Oakville vineyard. The aroma is classic Napa Valley: ripe, dusty blackberry, black plum and black currant fruit laced with a hint of briary spice and a whiff of sweet, toasty oak. At first taste, the wine reveals a big, thick, harmonious texture followed by waves of deep, concentrated black fruit that expand on the palate and take on a spicy, licorice-like tone in the remarkably lengthy finish. Truly “hedonistic,” but with a splendid balance of supple tannins and bright underlying acidity, this immensely generous Cabernet is hard to resist now, but will develop and provide pleasure for another decade.
Excellent with rich red meats and game.
View recipes that complement this wine
Vineyards
The grapes for our acclaimed Vine Hill Cabernet Sauvignon, which is produced in very limited quantities, come from the Vine Hill Vineyard, situated along Oakville’s gently sloping western benchlands. The vineyard has long been owned by grape grower Bob Phillips and his family, and we’ve been fortunate to work with them for over two decades, using Vine Hill grapes in our Benchland Select Cabernet Sauvignon since 1995. In 1997, we decided the fruit from this exceptional vineyard was so special it merited its own bottling, so we began producing a Vine Hill Cabernet Sauvignon from two special blocks of Bob’s vines. Vine Hill has since become one of Cakebread Cellars’ most sought-after wines. In 2001, the fruit was harvested between October 4th and October 8th in ideal condition.
Vintage
The 2001 vintage was a bit of a roller coaster ride. A warm March led to early bud break, followed by April frosts that reduced the crop in some north coast regions. May and June were warm, ensuring a healthy bloom and grape set, but the weather turned cool in July. A brief mid-August heat spell reignited the ripening process, which slowed again with cool weather in late August and early September. Fortunately, a classic California Indian summer ensued, bringing the harvest to fruition in October with a moderate crop of fully ripened, small-berried Cabernet Sauvignon grapes blessed with ripe, intense flavors.
Winemaking
After the fruit was crushed, the juice and skins were moved to tank and allowed to cold soak for 48 hours before fermentation was initiated, a procedure designed to extract color and flavor. Once fermentation got underway, the juice was drained from one tank to another, allowing the skins in the first tank to fall to the bottom, only to be thoroughly re-macerated once the juice was splashed back into the tank. Known as rack-and-return, this procedure helps extract more color and flavor and also converts short-chain (harsh) tannins to long-chain (suppler) tannins. After an extended, four-week maceration, the wine was pressed and then transferred to French oak barrels, 75% new, where it spent 23 months aging before being bottled in August 2003.
Not Available For Purchase
Tasting Notes & Food Pairings
The 2000 Vine Hill Cabernet Sauvignon displays the superb fruit and tannin structure characteristic of cabernets produced from the Oakville appellation. The wine offers intensely focused fruit, from its complex, layered aromas of blackberry, boysenberry, plum, cassis and spice to its deep, opulent, mouth-coating flavors. Delicious to drink now, it will age gracefully for another 5-8 years.
Excellent with rich red meats and game.
View recipes that complement this wine
Vineyards
Fruit for our Vine Hill Cabernet Sauvignon comes from four blocks of the Vine Hill Vineyard, situated along Oakville’s gently sloping western benchlands. The vineyard is owned by long-time grape grower Bob Phillips and his family. We’ve been fortunate to work with them since 1981, using grapes from their vineyard in our Benchland Select Cabernet Sauvignon. In 1997, we decided the vineyard was too special not to have its own bottling, so we began producing a Vine Hill Cabernet Sauvignon, which has become one of our most sought-after wines.
Vintage
In 2000, Napa Valley benefited from a cool, even growing season, enabling us to harvest our Vine Hill Vineyard cabernet sauvignon grapes at full maturity between September 27th and October 12th. Although a brief heat spike hit the valley in June, the region for the most part enjoyed cool summer temperatures, keeping the ripening process on an even keel. Some light rain in September served to preserve a high level of acidity in the grapes and to further extend their “hang time” on the vine, resulting in fruit with deep color and ripe, intense flavors. Small cluster and berry sizes further concentrated flavors, enabling us to produce an especially deep, focused 2000 Vine Hill Cabernet Sauvignon.
Winemaking
After the fruit was crushed, the juice and skins were moved to tank and allowed to cold soak for 72 hours before fermentation was initiated, a procedure designed to extract color and flavor. Once fermentation got underway, the juice was drained from one tank to another, allowing the skins in the first tank to fall to the bottom, only to be thoroughly re-macerated once the juice was splashed back into the tank. Known as rack-and-return, this procedure helps extract more color and flavor and also converts short-chain (harsh) tannins to long-chain (suppler) tannins. After an extended, four-week maceration, the wine was pressed and then transferred to French oak barrels, 75% new, where it spent 26 months aging before being bottled in December 2002.
Not Available For Purchase
Tasting Notes & Food Pairings
Following in the tradition we established with our first vintage in 1997, our 1999 Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon is layered and complex. From the deep, dark color to the intense aromas of blackberry, plum, vanilla and cassis, to the mouthwatering flavors of dark berries and chocolate, each layer unfolds slowly and deliberately. The smooth texture, firm tannins and long finish complete the picture. Although this wine drinks nicely when young, it would also benefit from 4 to 8 years of bottle age.
Excellent with rich red meats and game.
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Vineyards
This Cabernet Sauvignon comes from Vine Hill Ranch, owned by long-time grape grower, Bob Phillips, and his family. We’ve proudly worked with the Phillips since 1981, using grapes from their vineyard situated along Oakville’s gently sloping western hillsides in our Benchland Select Cabernet Sauvignon. In 1997, we decided that the vineyard was too special not to be bottled as a single vineyard wine so we bottled a small amount that year. That bottling confirmed our belief in the quality and uniqueness of this special site and exemplified the Phillips’ dedication to it.
Vintage
Each growing season is unique. 1999 was certainly no exception, and will be remembered as one of the coolest seasons of the decade. It kicked into gear with a long, cold winter, followed by a moderate spring. Bud break came in late March and early April, with bloom complete by mid-June. A cool, dry summer resulted in a rather late harvest, giving the vines extra “hang time” and allowing the grapes to reach optimum ripeness. The end results were wines with deep color and an excellent balance of fruit and tannins.
Winemaking
Cakebread’s winemaker, Julianne Laks, combines traditional and innovative wine making techniques in crafting our red wines. For starters, she cold soaks the juice and skins, or must, prior to fermentation to intensify color and flavors. During the fermentation process, Julianne uses pumpovers and, whenever necessary, a technique called “rack and return,” whereby the must is transferred from tank to tank to stimulate the production of phenolic compounds that help to balance and round out the wine’s tannins. Four weeks of extended maceration and daily tastings also aid in crafting the most complex wine possible. Our Cabernet Sauvignons are then aged in 80% new French oak for 26 months prior to bottling, and aged an additional year before release to the public.
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Tasting Notes & Food Pairings
Distinctively high-toned, concentrated and complex aromas of earthy black fruits, violets, slate, dark chocolate and spice characterize the nose of our 2011 Vine Hill Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep, dense and powerful on the firmly structured palate, the wine’s intense, dramatically concentrated blackcurrant, blackberry, dark plum and mineral flavors are bolstered by firm, yet refined tannins and balanced acidity, leading to a long, savory finish accented by earth, mineral, chocolate and toasted oak tones.
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Vineyards
Our Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon comes from four special blocks of vines – each planted to a different clone – in the acclaimed Vine Hill Ranch in Napa Valley’s gently sloping western benchlands near Oakville. We have purchased these grapes for over 30 years, and they have consistently produced superb, long-lived wines. Each block is hand-harvested separately at night to preserve the fruit’s fresh, pure character, and fermented and barrel-aged separately. After assessing the distinctive personality of each lot, we blend them together to forge a uniquely complex and harmonious wine that speaks eloquently of its provenance.
Vintage
2011 was a challenging vintage. The year began with a wet winter and spring, followed by atypically cool summer weather and several October rainstorms. Not surprisingly, Napa Valley’s grapes took a long time to ripen, resulting in a prolonged harvest. To address the situation, we thinned fruit from our vines to ensure full ripening of the remaining clusters, and sorted meticulously through the grapes at our winery so that only the best berries were sent to the crusher. This reduced our red wine production for the year, but achieved our goal of making characteristically intense, beautifully structured cabernet sauvignons.
Winemaking
Cakebread Cellars winemaker Julianne Laks employs traditional artisan winemaking techniques to maximize the extraction of color, flavor and tannin from our Vine Hill Ranch fruit. After the grapes are crushed, the juice from each lot is cold-soaked for 48 hours prior to initiating fermentation with a cultured French yeast strain that enhances texture, depth and intensity. Once fermentation completes, the wines enjoy an extended, three-week maceration on their skins to further extract color and flavor while softening tannins.
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Tasting Notes & Food Pairings
Characteristically dense, brooding and complex aromas of ripe blackberry, dark plum, cassis, licorice, violets and graphite pave the way for intense, powerful and amazingly concentrated boysenberry, blackberry, black plum and blackcurrant flavors, which take on intriguing spice, earth and mineral tones on the extremely long-lasting finish. Tightly structured, with firm, but well-integrated tannins and incredible depths of layered fruit, our 2013 Vine Hill Cabernet Sauvignon, like its 31 predecessors, will evolve beautifully over a decade or more of aging.
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Vineyards
The fruit for this highly distinctive cabernet sauvignon comes from three special blocks of vines and two distinctive cabernet sauvignon clones (4 & 337) grown in the renowned Vine Hill Ranch in Napa Valley’s western benchlands near Oakville. We have purchased these grapes since 1981, and they have consistently produced singular, long-lived wines. Hand-harvested at night to ensure the fruit’s freshness and varietal purity, each of the three lots is separately fermented and barrel-aged. After assessing the distinctive personality of each wine, we blend the three to create a uniquely complex and intense cabernet sauvignon that speaks eloquently of its terroir.
Vintage
In 2013, a warm, dry spring initiated early bud-break, ensured trouble-free vine flowering and grape set, and led to a consistently mild summer that fostered slow, even ripening and characteristically concentrated flavors in our Vine Hill cabernet grapes. The fruit was night- and hand-harvested, for freshness and varietal intensity, between October 1st and October 3rd.
Winemaking
The distinctive attributes of our Vine Hill Cabernet Sauvignon owe to its location and mature vines. To maximize its singular character, Cakebread Cellars winemaker Julianne Laks employs traditional artisan winemaking techniques. After the grapes are crushed, the must (unfermented juice and skins) from each of the three vineyard lots is cold-soaked for 48 hours to enhance the extraction of color, aromas, flavors and fine tannins prior to initiating fermentation with a cultured French yeast strain. Once fermentation completes, the wines enjoy an extended maceration on their skins to fully extract color and flavor and soften tannins. Our 2013 Vine Hill Cabernet Sauvignon spent 21 months in French oak barrels, 57% new, before bottling on August 5th, 2015.
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Tasting Notes & Food Pairings
Ripe, brooding, boysenberry, blackcurrant and black fig aromas, abetted by hints of loam, mineral and toasted oak, preface an immensely concentrated palate featuring deep, lush, dark cherry, boysenberry and cassis flavors. Tightly structured by youthfully firm, yet supple tannins and fresh, crisp acidity, the Vine Hill displays a density and power found in only the finest cabernet sauvignons. It culminates in an incredibly long, savory finish showcasing rich, earthy, black fruit flavors refreshed by cool mineral tones. A truly delicious wine, even in its youth, this intense, yet elegant cabernet sauvignon will flourish with another decade of bottle aging.
View recipes that complement this wine
Vineyards
The grapes for this elite cabernet sauvignon come from three special blocks of vines incorporating two distinctive cabernet sauvignon clones grown in the renowned Vine Hill Ranch in Napa Valley’s western benchlands near Oakville. We have purchased these grapes since 1982, and they have consistently produced singular, long-lived wines. Hand-harvested at night to ensure the fruit’s freshness and varietal purity, we ferment and barrel-age each of the three vineyard blocks separately. After assessing the attributes of each wine, we blend the three to create a uniquely complex and intense cabernet sauvignon that speaks eloquently of its terroir.
Vintage
After abundant harvests from 2012 through 2014, the 2015 growing season experienced more weather extremities that led to a small, yet outstanding, vintage. 2015 was our earliest harvest ever in the 40+ year of Cakebread Cellars history. A warm, dry winter fostered early bud-break, though a cold spell during fruit set limited cluster sizes. A warm summer and late-season heat spikes ensured beautiful ripening.
Winemaking
We employ traditional artisan winemaking techniques to maximize the singular character of our Vine Hill fruit. After the grapes are gently destemmed and crushed, the must (unfermented juice and skins) from each of the three vineyard lots is cold-soaked in small, closed-top, stainless steel tanks for 48 hours to extract color, aromas, flavors and fine tannins prior to initiating fermentation (in the same tanks) with a cultured French yeast strain. Once fermentation completes, the wines enjoy an extended maceration on their skins to fully extract color and flavor and soften tannins. Our 2015 Vine Hill Cabernet Sauvignon aged 22 months in French oak barrels, 66% new, before bottling in July, 2017.
