Jack's Block
2009 Cabernet Sauvignon
Diamond Mountain District
Named in honor of family patriarch Jack Davies, J. Davies is the product of an intimate knowledge of a place and a passion to create delicious red wine. Nestled between Nash Creek and Ritchie Creek on the southern slopes of Diamond Mountain, this is the site of Napa Valley’s first hillside vineyards, planted in 1862. The Davies carefully began replanting these vineyards to Bordeaux varietals for the J. Davies label in 1994. Produced from Cabernet Sauvignon vines in Jack’s Block, this barrel lot was made specifically for Premiere Napa Valley. With integrated tannins and a luxurious finish, the flavors of the wine are exemplary of the vineyard’s late-ripening, richly concentrated fruit. Sean Thompson and Hugh Davies, Winemakers Celia Welch, Consulting Winemaker
26 months in French oak barrels and 1 year in bottle.
bone dry | very sweet | |
light body | very full bodied | |
soft, gentle | very crisp | |
no tannins | heavy tannins | |
Winemaker, Davies Vineyards
I started my career in winemaking with Beringer at the old Italian Swiss Colony in Asti. The hook was set with the discovery of the diversity of flavors and aromas produced by the simple grape and its fermentation. I continued my enological exploration with the fermentation of red wines after moving to Napa Valley for a position at the Merlot house of Rutherford Hill Winery.
I returned to the University of California, Davis in the fall of 2002, to work with Dr. David Mills in earning a Masters of Science in Viticulture and Enology.
Upon graduation, I began at Staglin Family Estate in Rutherford, CA, working directly with Luc Morlet to mine the terroir of estate-driven Cabernet Sauvignon. This final piece led me to join Schramsberg in the summer of 2006 as the J. Davies Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon Assistant Winemaker, and taking over as the winemaker in 2008. In 2017, I became Director Winemaking for Schramsberg and Davies Vineyards.
Country born: United States
Education: B.S. Chemistry, U.C. Davis
Masters of Science in Viticulture and Enology, U.C. Davis
Years in the wine industry: 20-30 years
Winemaking Philosophy:
Keeping your ears open and your mouth shut. Much of my education was shaped by asking questions and listening to the answers. I also believe in fostering an environment to encourage questions from others in and outside the winery. People want to be a part of the experience of producing spectacular wines.
Q: Premiere Napa Valley wines are innovative and allow each winery to showcase the region's sense of exploration in fine winemaking. What kind of exploration did your Premiere Napa Valley wine allow you to do?
A: We wanted this lot to be the highlight of this vintage, so we took on the task of determining what fermentation process would provide us with that extra dynamic kick – between open top, closed top and bin fermentation. It was a very enlightening experiment, and in the end we were extremely excited with what the open top process lent to this wine, most dramatically being a much brighter fruit profile on the palate.
1532 E Street
Napa CA 94559
707-815-8776
Premiere Napa Valley Wine Collection
Winery | Vintage | Variety | Appellation | Fanciful | Auction |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Checkerboard Vineyards | 2010 | Red Wine | Napa Valley | Bear Hollow | 16 |
TEXTBOOK | 2010 | Red Wine | Oakville | OMG it's good (but don't tell anyone it's Merlot) | 16 |
Arkenstone Vineyards | 2009 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Howell Mountain | Estate | 15 |
Davies Vineyards | 2009 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Diamond Mountain District | Jack's Block | 15 |
Levy and McClellan | 2009 | Cabernet Franc | Napa Valley | 15 | |
Jones Family Vineyards | 2008 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | 14 | |
Judd's Hill | 2008 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | Friends at Harvest / Lot 15 | 14 |
Krupp Brothers | 2008 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | Two Bald Heads Cuvee | 14 |
O'Brien Estate | 2008 | Cabernet Franc | Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley | 14 | |
Sterling Vineyards | 2008 | Cabernet Franc | Napa Valley | Three Palms Vineyard | 14 |
CONSTANT | 2007 | Cabernet Franc | Diamond Mountain District | 13 | |
Diamond Terrace | 2007 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | Two Mountains | 13 |
Laird Family Estate | 2007 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Yountville | 13 |
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