2016 Spring Mountain Vineyard Elivette Estate Bottled Red Wine Napa Valley

2016 Spring Mountain Vineyard Elivette Estate Bottled Red Wine Napa Valley

2016 Spring Mountain Vineyard Elivette Estate Bottled Red Wine Napa Valley The 2016 vintage in Napa Valley was extraordinary and it shows in the 2016 Elivette. A moderate summer and slightly longer growing season brought out the intense aromas of a classically styled Napa Red Wine. The aroma profile is dominated by bright fresh fruits, beginning with wild berries and tart rhubarb but finishing in darker tones of plum and blueberries. On the palate the wine is rich and round on the front end but finishes focused and polished showing the classic tannin profile of our select vineyard blocks which compose Elivette. The fruit mingles with cracked pepper, sage, and hints of integrated oak. Licorice and espresso show themselves on the long lingering finish. As always this wine will age beautifully for the next 10-15+ years but with decanting will open up into a youthful but approachable wine ready to drink now.

The new Spring Mountain Vineyard was once three separate properties each with its own vineyard and winery: Spring Mountain Vineyards (Miravalle) 257 acres, Chateau Chevalier (Chevalier) 120 acres, and Draper Vineyards (La Perla) 435 acres.

The upper most property on the estate, La Perla, was founded in 1873 by Charles Lemme and expanded by the Schilling Spice family. Originally 285 acres it had the first Cabernet Sauvignon planted on Spring Mountain. The old winery remains today along with much of its original equipment and horse drawn carriages and wagons. Immediately below La Perla, and eventually added to it was the first vineyard planted by Fredrick and Jacob Beringer in 1882. These terraced hillsides were planted in a wide assortment of grape varieties to support the Beringer brothers fledgling winery.

Adjoining to the north of the Beringer vineyard was a Frenchman, Fortune Chevalier, whose stone winery, Chateau Chevalier, was making wine in 1891. And finally, next door to Chevalier was Tiburcio Parrott who grew olives, citrus and grapes. Parrott built a grand home on the estate which he named Miravalle.