Sunshine in the Dark
2019 Cabernet Sauvignon
Stags Leap District
As a tribute to his favorite music, proprietor Cliff Lede named his estate vineyard blocks after classic rock hits. This year’s Premiere Napa Valley lot combines the rugged, hillside Poetry Vineyard block, “Sunshine of Your Love” (Cream), with the seductive valley floor block, “Dancing in the Dark” (Bruce Springsteen). Christopher Tynan, 100-point winemaker, carefully selected these blocks to fashion an unparalleled bottling reflective of classic Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon with a rock ‘n’ roll edge. Like rare vinyl, each of these 60 bottles will be a collector’s gem for years to come.
Winemaker, Cliff Lede Vineyards
Christopher Tynan has been making exceptional wine in Napa Valley for over twenty years. Largely self-taught, he considers the great wines of the world his textbooks and a way to draw on the past for inspiration and the present to guide the future. Thus, his approach to winemaking bestows a style that pays tribute to both tradition and innovation. His exacting philosophy of only employing low-yield vines from select sites, and minimal intervention in the winery, ensures that each bottle expresses the distinct nuances of each vineyard, block, and vintage.
Christopher began his wine career in the vineyard, working summers doing irrigation management for vineyards across Napa and Sonoma counties. Following a harvest at Cain on Spring Mountain in 2004, he was given an opportunity to work the 2005 harvest with the renowned winemaker Helen Turley Wetlaufer at Blankiet Estate in Yountville. In 2006, Christopher became the assistant winemaker at the prestigious Colgin Cellars on Pritchard Hill and worked closely with Vintner Ann Colgin and Vineyard Manager David Abreu for the next five years crafting some of Napa Valley’s most critically acclaimed and collectable wines.
In 2012, Christopher was introduced to Cliff Lede by David Abreu and joined the Cliff Lede Vineyards team shortly thereafter. Christopher brings an unmatched passion and fervent attention to detail. He’s proud to have received multiple 100-point scores from critics over the years, including Robert Parker, Jeb Dunnuck and Lisa Perrotti Brown.
Christopher lives in Coombsville with his wife Katie and son James. In his free time Christopher enjoys traveling, cooking, and collecting wine.
Country born: United States
Education: BA English Texas State University
Years in the wine industry: 15-20 years
Winemaking Philosophy:
Great vineyards make great wine.
Cliff Lede Vineyards is distributed in the following markets. Please contact the winery directly for the most up-to-date distribution information and to explore commercial opportunities.
Cliff Lede Vineyards Contact: Brittany Gieseke
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