Ghost Block Estate Wines
2023 Cabernet Sauvignon
"Maratona"
Yountville AVA
Auction 29 | Lot No. 105
Vintage: 2023
Ghost Block Estate Wines
Cabernet Sauvignon
Yountville
5 cases produced
Highlights
- The 2023 vintage marks our family's 120th harvest here in Napa Valley; our first was in 1903
- A beautiful red blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Malbec and 25% Petit Verdot
- Sourced from our estate vineyards, Ghost Block and Blockhouse, nestled in the heart of the Yountville appellation
- "Maratona" means marathon in Italian, signifying that life is a marathon, not a sprint
Description
Since 1903, our Pelissa family has been involved in agriculture here in the Napa Valley. This 2023 vintage marks our 120th consecutive harvest. We are so proud of our legacy and hope to share some of our love and passion of this industry through this special bottling of this red blend from our most prized vineyards in Yountville, Ghost Block and BlockHouse.
Wine Facts
- Organically produced (also commonly called "organically grown")
- Wine is 100% estate grown and bottled
Kristi Koford
Winemaker, Ghost Block Estate Wines
Born in Berkeley and raised primarily outside the US as her father traveled the world studying wild animal behavior. Kristi Koford's intention when studying biology at UC Santa Cruz was to follow in her father's footsteps. Instead, she found herself attempting to grow wild mushrooms on a farm in Lodi. When not mushrooming, she worked in the vineyard, pruning, picking, driving farm machinery and making wine. This led to her first real job in the wine industry as a microbiologist for Robert Mondavi Winery in Oakville. Under the tutelage of Zelma Long and the University of Mondavi, she became Senior Enologist, directing the work in the cellar and laboratory. After ten years, she took four years off and, with her husband, built a hand made timber frame house in the Oakville hills. She returned to wine work as Assistant Winemaker when St. Supery opened in 1988 then as Winemaker at Alderbrook Winery in 1997. She joined the staff of Napa Wine Company in 2001 as Production Winemaker and assisted Rob Lawson in making the Ghost Block wines until 2016 when she became the Ghost Block winemaker.
Country born: United States
Education: Kristi Koford's intention when studying biology at UC Santa Cruz was to follow in her father's footsteps. Instead, she found herself attempting to grow wild mushrooms on a farm in Lodi. When not mushrooming, she worked in the vineyard, pruning, picking, driving farm machinery and making wine.
Years in the wine industry: 20-30 years
Winemaking Philosophy:
Napa Wine Company's unique mission and client base gives me the opportunity to exercise my technical knowledge and resource management skills in a mutually beneficial and fulfilling way. I am also using my early multicultural experiences and behavioral studies in ways I never envisioned. Life, like wine, proceeds in mysterious ways. Making Ghost Block wines is the culmination of a lifelong dream, working with some of the best grapes in one of the best wine growing regions in the world.
Winery Distribution
Ghost Block Estate Wines is distributed in the following markets. Please contact the winery directly for the most up-to-date distribution information and to explore commercial opportunities.
Domestic:
- Arizona (Action Wine & Spirits)
- California (Winebow)
- Colorado (CTS)
- Florida (Winebow)
- Georgia (Winebow)
- Idaho (S&C Wines)
- Illinois (Fine Vines)
- Michigan (Veritas)
- Minnesota (Winebow)
- Montana (Cardinal)
- Nebraska (Chieftain)
- Nevada (Cork)
- New Jersey (Winebow)
- New Mexico (Favorite Brands)
- New York (Winebow)
- North Carolina (Winebow)
- Ohio (Private Reserve)
- Oklahoma (RNDC)
- South Dakota (Cask & Cork)
- Texas (Favorite Brands)
- Virginia (Winebow)
- Washington (Winebow)
International:
- Canada - Alberta (South by Southwest)
- Canada - Manitoba (Jones & Company)
- Germany (SANSIBAR)
- Japan (Nakagawa)
- South Korea (WINE2U KOREA)