2023 Frediani Ranch

Nose of juicy watermelon, blueberry, botanicals and wild herbs. Medium plus body with plush texture and flavors of boysenberry and dark chocolate. SR (2/26)

A cool, wet winter and mild summer allowed for slow, even ripening, resulting in exceptional depth and vibrancy in the fruit. A nod to Napa’s past, this historic blend showcases three varieties from the renowned Frediani Ranch in Calistoga. Valdiguié adds freshness, charbono depth, and petite sirah structure. Once a staple in the 1970s, these varieties are now rarely combined, making this wine a true reflection of the valley’s heritage. Excellent now and over the next six years. SR (3/25)

Since the 1970s, Jim Frediani (pronounced with a hard “a”) has been farming his family’s vineyard that spans the Silverado Trail. The vineyard is comprised of volcanic, gravelly loam soils with many different varieties planted in the ranch. They grow valdiguié, charbono, petite sirah, cabernet sauvignon, sauvignon blanc, syrah, zinfandel, grenache, cabernet franc, merlot and carignane. The oldest block on the ranch dates to the mid-1930s. Valdiguié was once widely planted in California but now Frediani is home to some of the only vines that remain. The Frediani family should be lauded for keeping these viticultural antiquities in the ground. So many ranches on the Silverado Trail tore out their heritage vines and planted cabernet sauvignon, which dominates this area in Napa Valley.

Rainfall: 64 inches (above normal)
Bloom: Early June
Weather: Cool, even growing season.

Harvest Dates: 27 September – valdiguié, 9 October – charbono and petite sirah
Grapes: Average Brix 24.1˚
TA: 5.88 g/L
pH: 3.76
Fermentation: 100% whole cluster pressed; natural primary and secondary.
Barrels: 100% air-dried American oak barrels (12% new, 10% one year old, 20% two years old, 8% three years old, and 50% neutral).
Aging: 16 months in barrel

Sustainably farmed, hand-harvested, grapes; whole-cluster pressed; fermented on the native yeasts, followed by a full malolactic on the naturally occurring bacteria; minimum effective sulfur for this wine (35 ppm at crush, 74 ppm over the course of aging); pad filtered at bottling. In keeping with our philosophy of minimal intervention, this is the sum of our actions.