2018 Spring Release

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Dear Trespass Friends,

Welcome to our Spring Release and the first peek at our 2015 vintage Estate wines! The yields from our vineyard and across the Napa Valley were lower than average once again as we worked through an unprecedented fourth year of drought. However the resulting flavors were spectacularly concentrated and we are very proud of the wines we have created. You will notice for some of the wines we have half the production we had in previous years. We will fill orders on a first come basis, so please order soon.

Life has been extremely busy in the vineyard since the last harvest as we began phase one of a twelve year process to replant portions of our vineyard. Our overriding directive was to retain the character and quality of the wines we produce, so we made the conscious decision to only remove small blocks as needed. We are also using our own budwood for the Cabernet Franc specifically, because as we know (and have been told by several consultants) the particular clone we have is “magic”! We won’t take a crop from these new vines for four years, so a lot of TLC and patience is required of us.

Now, on to the Spring releases!!

Below are our tasting notes on the four wines available to you for shipment right away.

2015 Trespass Cabernet Franc – 75 cases produced

Winemaker Kirk Venge describes this wine as the “philosopher” of the estate. Dark and brooding with chocolatey tannins, it nonetheless conveys a savory vanillin warmth. Toasty blueberry on the nose along with mocha, fresh cut sage and toasty sandalwood. Rich flavors of milk chocolate covered blueberries and a wonderful spice box of nutmeg and clove fill the pallet. As usual this wine is 100% Cabernet Franc aged in 80% new French oak for 22 months.

2015 Trespass MAYHEM – 50 cases produced

Donny’s baby to be sure, he describes this wine as “elegance in the glass”. A savory nose wafting with dark cocoa that evolves on the palate with ripe berries, blue fruit, black currant and layers of dusty cocoa and violets. The finish is long and lingering. Absolutely perfect with either a delicious filet or our favorite Skuna Bay salmon steak! A blend of 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot aged for 22 months in 80% new French oak.

2017 Fall Release

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Dear Friends,

I had written our fall release letter and was preparing to send it out when life in the wine country took a dramatic change. The crisp, clear mornings usually filled with the exciting hustle and bustle of the picking crews were transformed into smoke filled skies. The sheer magnitude of the devastation came trickling in as we were without power for almost two days in St. Helena. As the fires spread and anxiousness prevailed in our community, all we could do was get prepared to leave then wait and watch.

We were fortunate to have no lasting effects from these fires, but we know of so many friends and valley neighbors who have been displaced and lost their homes. The stories are heartbreaking. However the common thread has been the overwhelming gratitude to the first responders who came to fight these fires. We are all truly humbled by their dedication to protect us! The focus of the firefighters both on the ground and in the air was awe inspiring. Each day as the flames glowed on the ridges above us, the constant air attacks held back any advancement into St. Helena.

As I write this it is the first day in almost two weeks that the sky is no longer smoky. A bit of light rain is in the forecast this evening. Mother Nature will now begin her work to heal the valleys. Our community is strong and will pull together to heal each other. We are blessed to have an opportunity to do what we can with this process.

This fall we have the final three of our 2014 wines to share with you, our Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, and the Rendezvous Blend. As a special treat for our “No Limits” allocation level we have a fourth wine, a one barrel lot of 2014 Merlot that is available only to you as well as a few cases of magnums of the wines in this release. As always, Donny and our winemaker Kirk Venge have compiled their notes on the wines which you will find on the reverse side.

So many of you have reached out to us over the past few weeks to check in, to send your thoughts and prayers and we can’t thank you enough. The both of us consider ourselves lucky to call all of you friends. As we wrap up this harvest season we are finding that we are taking things a bit slower and appreciating the smallest of details that surround us each day. We wish the same for all of you this fall season.

With Love,
Dana & Donny

2016 Fall Newsletter

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Dear Trespass Friends,

The beautiful fall season is upon us and it is time to celebrate a fabulous harvest and the release of the last of our Trespass Vineyard wines from the 2013 vintage!! The Cabernet Sauvignon, Old Vine Zinfandel, and the Rendezvous blend are ready to make their way from our cellar to yours.

Heritage and legacy are themes that resonate deeply in our business, as well as all kinds of farming. After all we are simply stewards of our special piece of land, a responsibility Donny and I keep in our minds at all times. Our property had been under vine for over 100 years, however when we purchased it the old “Italian field blend” varietals had been ripped out. We were able to make rootstock and clonal selections that we felt would prosper in this unique corner of St. Helena and have been aptly rewarded!

Many of you have asked if any of our children plan to get into the wine business. One has not fallen far from the vine. Our son Michael has been making wine since 2010 and his brand is called MTGA. I can’t believe he just released his fourth vintage! Check out his wonderful wines at mtgawines.com and get a few bottles to try. And don’t miss reading his blog – I always enjoy his perspectives and his journey. (Yes, a proud Mom moment!) The other four in our “Brady Bunch” have now scattered in different directions but you just never know what may happen around the corner. We are always happy to send wine care packages their way so they always have a taste of home nearby.

The 2013 is a vintage of the ages and was one of the most concentrated in quite some time. Donny likes to say the silver lining from the drought conditions we had experienced for several years is that the wines made during this time have been richer, bolder, and more concentrated than ever. Fortunately we have returned to a more normal weather pattern in the Napa Valley, but it is Mother Nature’s annual stamp that marks each vintage as a special moment in time for Trespass Vineyard.