Trefethen Family Vineyards
Sleeper Block
2019 Cabernet Sauvignon
Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley
Auction 25 | Lot No. 132
Vintage: 2019
Trefethen Family Vineyards
Sleeper Block
Cabernet Sauvignon
Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley
5 cases produced
Highlights
- 100% single-clone, single-block Cabernet Sauvignon
- 100% estate grown from our Hillspring Vineyard, the home of HāLo
- Hillside fruit, grown on rocky volcanic soils, resulting in small berries and big flavors
- Our favorite barrel from 2019, from a piece of our vineyard that rises to the top year after year
Description
Founded in 1968, Trefethen Family Vineyards is one of Napa Valley's pioneering wineries. Five decades later, we remain dedicated to crafting 100 percent estate grown wines. On the slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains, on the northern edge of the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley, is our Hillspring Vineyard. In its own small valley, bisected by a spring-fed creek, the vineyard’s rocky, shallow soils, coupled with a climate protected from fog and wind, make Hillspring the perfect spot to grow exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon. Hailing from what winemaker Bryan Kays likes to call Hillspring’s sleeper block, this particular piece of the vineyard basks in soft morning light. Over the long, even-keeled growing season of 2019, it had ample time to develop complex flavors. Picked at the perfect moment, it transformed during fermentation, revealing the richness and density characteristic of this site. Delicious dark fruit is intertwined with mountain tannins that will continue to develop and improve with time. Time and time again, this barrel rose to the top.
Wine Facts
- Single vineyard wine
- Sustainably produced
- Wine is 100% estate grown and bottled
- Wine is produced in a Napa Green winery
Bryan Kays
Winemaker, Trefethen Family Vineyards
Bryan obtained an undergraduate degree in English Literature from Cal Poly, SLO. Like any good English major, Bryan found refuge in wine, and quickly developed a healthy interest in the subject.
Bryan began his wine career as a field worker/cellar rat in the Sierra Foothills. After a couple of vintages and thousands of questions to the winemaker, Bryan returned to UC Davis to earn a degree in Viticulture and Enology.
Bryan joined Trefethen in 2006 as a Viticulture intern. Fascinated with estate grown wines and the opportunity to work with some of the valley's long-term residents, Bryan worked his way into the cellar then to Associate Winemaker. In 2015, he was promoted to Winemaker.
Bryan's goal is to create wines that are balanced and true to type. The winemake's two most critical decisions for any given wine are harvest date and press date. When those two decisions are perfectly timed, the winemaker's job is then to simply let each wine develop its own flavors and nuances, and keep his/her hands out of it. Winemaking is as much about action as it is about restraint.
Country born: United States
Education: BA in English Literature from Cal Poly, SLO
BS in Viticulture and Enology from UC Davis
Years in the wine industry: 15-20 years
Winemaking Philosophy:
Bryan's goal is to create wines that are balanced and true to type. The winemaker's two most critical decisions for any given wine are harvest date and press date. When those two decisions are perfectly timed, the winemaker's job is then to simply let each wine develop its own flavors and nuances, and keep his/her hands out of it. Winemaking is as much about action as it is about restraint.
Winery Distribution
Trefethen Family 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.
Trefethen Family Vineyards Contact: Hailey Trefethen
Domestic:
- California ( Breakthru Beverage )
International:
- Barbados ( Platinum Wines )
- Belgium ( Vinum Ganda )
- Canada - Alberta ( Spark )
- Canada - British Columbia ( Vintage Corks )
- Canada - Ontario ( Vinexx )
- Canada - Quebec ( Amphora )
- China ( Dongguan Shangya Trading Co. )
- Hong Kong ( Watson's Wine )
- Japan ( Hotei Wines )
- Mexico ( Vinosapiens )
- Philippines ( PYC Foods )
- Scotland ( Daniel Lambert Wines )
- South Korea ( Shingong Wine Co. )
- Taiwan ( 99 Bottles )
- United Kingdom ( Daniel Lambert Wines )
2024 © Napa Valley Vintners All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Accessibility Statement