Equitem profiles the racy acidity and minerality of Knights Valley Sauvignon Blanc. Named for the Latin word for “knight,” this wine is produced from grapes grown below Mt. St. Helena in volcanic soils several hundred feet above sea level. Though made with the same techniques as our other Sauvignon Blanc, Naissance, Equitem offers an entirely different experience—a vibrant portrait of the knight’s leanness and grace, dominated by powerful citrus and salty stone.
The Galerie collection began with Naissance (French for “birth” or “beginning”), a seamless blend of Old World and New crafted from Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc. This flagship wine layers the citrus and mineral notes of the Loire Valley with peach.
The Galerie Terracea is a light golden Riesling with enticing notes of apricot, fresh lychee and citrus blossom. Full palate, flavorful texture, with long sweet wild flowers and honey on the finish. The grapes for this wine were pressed at 100% whole cluster for vibrant fruit intensity. The juice settled for two days before it was racked into a concrete eggs and neutral barrels for fermentation. Sur lie aging for five months.
Latro takes its name from the Latin word for “hunter,” a reference to Knights Valley’s history as a private hunting reserve before the development of vineyards in the area. Hard, inhospitable mountain soils restrict root development, which creates smaller berries and lower yields that bring distinctively mineral notes to this 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon. The darkly handsome result is a charismatic and versatile wine with instant, irresistible appeal.
Pleinair presents our interpretation of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The name refers to the French painters' method of painting outdoors (en plein air), which developed around the same time as Napa's first European-style vineyards in the 1800s. Fruit from vineyards with diverse soil types brings complexity and depth to the finished wine, which shows rich black fruit, spice and floral notes with a firm tannin structure and balanced acidity.