Polaris Vineyard
2021 Cabernet Sauvignon
Howell Mountain
Winemaking is, more than anything, about farming. GRO Wines loves to work directly with those who grow the grapes. Our partnership with Polaris Vineyard is an example of this close relationship between grapegrower and winemaker. Jon Dodge is a grapegrower, an artist and a Boy Scout leader. He is a kind, thoughtful man who shares his wisdom freely. As a longtime Napa Valley grower and vineyard manager, he helped craft the wine style of early Napa Valley wines as the grapegrower for Burgess Cellars. The 30-year-old Polaris Vineyard grows in red volcanic soil that is low in vigor. Its location above the fogline allows for slow flavor development, giving the resulting wine a rich complexity. This is the very first Polaris Vineyard wine by GRO Wines. Taste the vineyard in its purest form as 100% Cabernet Sauvignon before the blend changes for bottling.
Winemaker, GRO Wines
Lars Bjorkman grew up in Fresno, CA, surrounded by table grape and raisin vineyards. His family settled there from Sweden just before he was born, making him the first of his family to be born in the United States. Using his offensive line football skills to get into University of California, Davis, where he initially planned to pursue medicine like his father, he instead pivoted to graduate with a degree in viticulture and enology from the world-renowned program. Lars has worked at Gloria Ferrer, R.H. Phillips, BRL Hardy’s in Australia, Flora Springs, and Saddleback in Oakville, where he now makes the wine along with owner Nils Venge--the first Napa Valley winemaker to receive 100 points from Robert Parker. He also consults for various projects.
Country born: United States
Years in the wine industry: 20-30 years
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