2020 Spring Release

Dear Trespass Vineyard Family,

When I sit down to write a release letter, there always seems to be an interesting balance that must be struck. On one hand we want to convey the picture of the vintage we are looking forward to sharing with our friends. On the other hand two and a half years that have transpired since the moment we made the decisive decision to harvest and begin the wine making process, and a lot has happened in the cellar and our vineyard! It is similar to looking through an old yearbook or photo album, fondly remembering the passage of time and choices that move us to the pivotal decisions that lead to (hopefully) very pleasant outcomes and where we are now.

The 2017 vintage focus will definitely be weighted towards the fall and harvest. But let’s take a quick look at how that year began. The year started with rain…..abundant rain! After several years of drought, we all appreciated the grey days as our vineyard soaked up the moisture. The growing season was characterized by warm temperatures punctuated by heat spikes starting in May and continuing now and then throughout the summer. Vegetative growth was hearty and vineyard management was very important. Donny’s almost daily walks through the vineyard became routine as well as conversations with our winemaker Kirk Venge and vineyard manager Josh Clark. Heat spikes throughout the growing season are not uncommon, but as we headed into Labor Day weekend with the fruit approaching maturation, it became a more focused conversation.

Trespass Vineyard, in a “typical” year (is there such a thing in farming???) will harvest in mid-October. The warm summer and repetitive heat spikes accelerated ripeness but this is where Donny and Kirk’s knowledge converged. They watched how September progressed, and made the call to harvest on September 27th and 29th.

Why I paint this back story all leads to the most significant event of the 2017 vintage, the epic fires that tore through our Napa and Sonoma communities beginning on October 8th. While our grapes were safely at the winery beginning the fermentation process, that was not the end of that story. It was literally “all hands on deck” to make sure pump overs at the winery were done and the quality of the wines remained intact. We literally had neighbor winemakers and winery friends, management and cellar professionals (you know who you are!) show up for Donny and Kirk at crazy hours to make sure the work got done during that ten day time span of chaos. Come visit and Donny will be more than happy to elaborate on those days, it was a story to tell for sure and warms our heart as to why we could not be more proud to be a part of this winemaking community.

So here we are….proudly ready to release the first of the 2017 wines. Kirk has once again given us his perspective of the wines we have to offer as follows:

2017 Trespass Cabernet Franc

225 cases produced

Heady, fumy and aromatic! The start to this wine is just profound! This Franc is a standout in the flight, always vintage to vintage, and 2017 in no different. The forward and full nose begins with deep currant, black cherry, cocoa and hints of espresso all layered upon one another. The flavors are lush and populated with cola, black cherry, barrel toast and ample amounts of the espresso bean and chocolate you expect to find in the Trespass Cabernet Franc. As with all Trespass wines, we were quite fortunate to pick pre-fire of ’17. We thank low yields and plenty of St. Helena sunshine for that! Always there to provide a mountain of complexity and flavor, the 2017 Trespass Cabernet Franc is on par to be one of the finest wines we’ve produced over the past 10 years! Aged for 22 months in 80% new French oak. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.

2017 Trespass INTRIGUE

250 cases produced

Experiencing a glass if the 2017 Intrigue is like lazily pedaling a fat-tire cruiser bicycle downhill along a warm beach…..in the Bahamas. It’s wonderful! This wine puts you right into a fantastic frame of mind, and before you know it, you are ready for your next glass. Possibly our most approachable wine in the Trespass portfolio, the nose begins with sold wafts of warm red cherries, dried plum raspberry reduction and clove. A beautiful red fruit array glides down with the afterthought flavors of barrel vanillin, light coffee and an easy but refined structure. This wine is 100% balance, finesse and enjoyment. I vote this as one of my most approachable wines of 2017 and hope that you appreciate it as well. Aged for 22 months in 80% new French oak. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.

2017 Trespass MAYHEM

100 cases produced

Mayhem is defined quite simply as “chaos”. However the initial idea behind the name was Donny and I stepping out of the singular varitals from the Trespass Estate to the art and just plain fun of exploring the blending options available. At only 100 cases produced, the Mayhem is the epitome of what the Bordelaise proudly title a Right Bank blend. The Merlot carries the sweet red cheery fruit and flesh to the mid-palate, and the Franc delivers black fruit nuances, weight, gaminess and fine tannins. Blends such as this are wonderful to enjoy early, but more fascinating with age. Aged for 22 months in 80% new French oak. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.

2017 Trespass MISCHIEF

225 cases produced

This ripe concoctive elixir begins as a gorgeous bouquet in the nose and is just loaded with sweet blackberry, clove, dried cherries and hints of chocolates. The palate is as round as the nose. Sweet oak vanillin greets the palate and flavors dance on the tongue. An exciting mixture of exceptional south Napa vineyards, the soft and lengthy young tannins include spicy black fruit, toffee and caramels. Cellared correctly, I can imagine this wine maturing at 10-13 years or more. Aged for 22 months in 80% new French oak. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Thank you for taking the time to listen to our story, enjoy our wines, and be a part of our circle of friends. Distilled down to its essence, this is why we love what we do! We raise a glass to you and our farming community. We are so blessed to call you family.

With affection,
~ Dana & Donny Gallagher