The Hearth
2019 Cabernet Sauvignon
Rutherford
To make a remarkable wine, one needs a great vineyard, vision, focus and a good vintage. The technical team at the historic Inglenook estate, 235 organically farmed acres in Rutherford, Napa Valley, was excited to see phenomenal quality across our classic red varieties in 2019. Working together, we chose Cabernet Sauvignon (79%), Cabernet Franc (13%) and Merlot (8%) from 11 different blocks for the final blend. We focused our collective energy to bring to life this unique, single barrel wine – “The Hearth.” Knowing that we would be producing only 60 bottles of this wine exclusively for the winning Premiere bidder, we felt very close to that person. “The Hearth” was the name we chose for this special lot, as it conveys our sense of feeling that our Inglenook ‘home’ is on the Rutherford Bench. We know that the life, warmth and vitality of the terroir permeate the wines we produce. We trust that the vibrancy, aromatic complexity and superb texture of this wine will please those who experience it as much as we enjoyed making it.
Winemaker, Inglenook
Born into a wine-loving family, Chris Phelps completed a degree in enology at UC Davis prior to studying viticulture and enology at the University of Bordeaux. He was selected by his future mentors, Christian Moueix and enologist Jean-Claude Berrouet, of Château Pétrus and Ets. Jean-Pierre Moueix, to direct winemaking at Château des Laurets in Puisseguin-St. Emilion for the 1982 harvest. This led to extensive training at Château Pétrus and other Moueix properties on the Right Bank, and then to 12 years as founding winemaker at Dominus Estate, the Napa Valley property owned by Moueix. After Dominus, Chris served in as winemaker at Caymus Vineyards, prior to joining Swanson Vineyards, where he directed production until 2015. Chris likes to make “New World wines with an Old World sensibility,” blending experience and intuition with appropriate technology. He is passionate about bringing elegance and balance to the wines with which he is privileged to work. Chris has been producing his own Napa Cabernet Sauvignon under the Ad Vivum label since 2007. In addition to serving as Associate Winemaker for Inglenook Winery in Rutherford, he continues to consult for several other brands in Napa Valley and the Pacific Northwest. Chris and his wife, Maria, live in St. Helena, Napa Valley, where they raised their four children.
Country born: United States
Years in the wine industry: 30+ years
78-79 Leadenhall Street
London EC3A 3DH
UK
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Premiere Napa Valley Wine Collection
Winery | Vintage | Variety | Appellation | Fanciful | Auction |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Favia | 2021 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | Measured in Decades | 27 |
Inglenook | 2021 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Rutherford | Terzetto | 27 |
OVID Napa Valley | 2021 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | MMXXI | 27 |
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Napa Green Winery | 2021 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Stags Leap District | FAY Hillside Blocks 10A/12A | 27 |
Inglenook | 2020 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Rutherford | Prime Directive | 26 |
Inglenook | 2019 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Rutherford | The Hearth | 25 |
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars | 2019 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Stags Leap District | S.L.V. BLOCK 3B | 25 |
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars | 2018 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Stags Leap District | FAY Block 2 | 24 |
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