Checkerboard Vineyards
2010 Red Wine
"Bear Hollow"
Napa Valley AVA
Auction 16 | Lot No. 109
Vintage: 2010
Checkerboard Vineyards
Red Wine
Napa Valley
5 cases produced
Description
The lots that comprise this blend come from our highest vineyard blocks in Nash Creek Canyon: 3.5 acres located at 1,900 feet in elevation. Always above the cooling fog, these vineyards are nestled in their own quiet valley formed by jagged sedimentary rock ridges of solid decomposed rhyolite. The combination of elevation, rhyolitic soil and dense spacing produces wines of layered concentration. After months of hand tending, the fruit is fermented whole berry in new 60-gallon French oak barrels, then cellared for 26 months in our caves below the very same vineyards.
We are incredibly pleased with the depth and concentration, and the powerful, yet soft, subtle and sweet tannins that are the structure and foundation of this wine. Bear Hollow is a wine of full-bodied power and dazzling complexity.
Wine Facts
- pH: 3.64000
- Wine is unfiltered
- Single vineyard wine
- Sustainably produced
- Wine is 100% estate grown and bottled
Tasting Chart
| bone dry | very sweet | |
| light body | very full bodied | |
| soft, gentle |
|
very crisp |
| no tannins | heavy tannins | |
 |
Martha McClellan
Winemaker, Checkerboard Vineyards
Martha McClellan worked making the wines at Harlan Estate from 1995 through 2000. In 2001 she took over the winemaking and vineyard direction at Sloan Estate, a well-renowned Napa Valley winery and vineyards located in the hills of Rutherford, where she continues to make the wines today. In 2006 she came to Checkerboard Vineyards and, in working with the winery team, made the first vintage from the Aurora Vineyard site. Since then, three more vineyard sites have been planted, all at varying elevations and terroir, throughout this hillside valley. Those vines, in their fourth leaf now, are already showing the unique characteristics of their individual locations. The Premiere launch of the ’07 Checkerboard was both a tribute to the quality of the wine and a reflection of the incredible amount of effort and attention to detail that went into the development of this phenomenal estate and vineyards.
Country born: United States
Education: To be completed at a later date.
Years in the wine industry: 10-15 years
Winemaking Philosophy:
The exacting standards that have always guided and marked my work remain the foundation for my philosophy. As humble servant of Mother Nature and observant steward of the land, I am passionately committed to producing wines of uncompromising quality with the purest expression of their origin.
Montesquieu
1532 E Street
Napa CA 94559
707-815-8776
Other Premiere Napa Valley Wines available from Montesquieu:
| Winery | Vintage | Variety | Appellation | Fanciful | Auction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Checkerboard Vineyards | 2010 | Red Wine | Napa Valley | Bear Hollow | 16 (2012) |
| TEXTBOOK | 2010 | Red Wine | Oakville | OMG it's good (but don't tell anyone it's Merlot) | 16 (2012) |
| Arkenstone Vineyards | 2009 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Howell Mountain | Estate | 15 (2011) |
| Davies Vineyards | 2009 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Diamond Mountain District | Jack's Block | 15 (2011) |
| Levy and McClellan | 2009 | Cabernet Franc | Napa Valley | 15 (2011) | |
| Jones Family Vineyards | 2008 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | 14 (2010) | |
| Judd's Hill | 2008 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | Friends at Harvest / Lot 15 | 14 (2010) |
| Krupp Brothers | 2008 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | Two Bald Heads Cuvee | 14 (2010) |
| O'Brien Estate | 2008 | Cabernet Franc | Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley | 14 (2010) | |
| Sterling Vineyards | 2008 | Cabernet Franc | Napa Valley | Three Palms Vineyard | 14 (2010) |
| CONSTANT | 2007 | Cabernet Franc | Diamond Mountain District | 13 (2009) | |
| Diamond Terrace | 2007 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | Two Mountains | 13 (2009) |
| Laird Family Estate | 2007 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Yountville | 13 (2009) |
Winery Distribution
Checkerboard 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.