2009 Twenty Rows Cabernet Sauvignon Napa

Vinoce is a small, family winery owned by Brian and Lori Nuss. Over the last 28 years they have developed an intimate knowledge of growing Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc on the rugged, hillside slopes of Mount Veeder and are dedicated to creating wines that reflect the true expression of the Mount Veeder appellation.

Vinoce, pronounced (vin-o-chay) is a play on the Nuss Family name and Brian’s German-Italian heritage. Nuss means "nut" in German. Noce is "nut" in Italian. Intermingled with "vin" for wine, Vinoce means "wine nut." so successful.â€

The Estate is made up of 2 distinct sections that stretch from 1600 vertical feet to over 2100 vertical feet. The upper block is a collection of 3 parcels planted to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot making up 8 acres. The lower 16 acres are planted to Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The dramatic topography and south facing exposures offer the grapes a perfect growing environment as well as one of the finest mountain skylines in the Napa Valley. The vineyard was planted in 1990 and in 1995 Brain built a home for the family at the vineyard. Brian and Lori’s two sons Timothy and Tyler are looking forward to continuing the hard work and pursuit of excellence in winemaking at Vinoce. 11 vineyard blocks 2 houses, 2 boys, 4 dogs, and 28 years later they love what they do and where they live. The Nuss family has carved out a beautiful corner of Mt Veeder and they make great wine. If you have a chance, give them a call maybe we can get you up on the mountain for a visit.

Since planting the vineyard in 1990, Brian and Lori have committed themselves to sustainable farming practices. They are well aware that great wine can only be made from great fruit. For the last 16 years Brian has learned how to showcase the nuances of each individual vineyard block. Picking may take up to 2 months as each pass brings in only perfectly ripe berries. Traditional winemaking practices combined with the most advanced enological equipment offers Brian the opportunity to create the finest expression of the estate each vintage. Brian utilizes small lot fermentations to focus the varietal character of each block. With the availability of more components Brian has the ability to create wines that are greater than the sum of their parts. Rigorous vineyard management and traditional viticulture and eonological techniques are utilized in building the wines of Twenty Rows.

Here is what this country’s premier authority on California wine Robert Parker Jr. had to say about the 2009 vintage. “My first look at 2009, over the two weeks I spent in Northern California, suggests it is a very strong vintage for the Burgundy varietals, particularly from Sonoma and the Sonoma Coast. However, for the Bordeaux varietals, most valley floor vineyards seem to have been harvested before the heavy rains hit Northern California October 11 and 12. It looks to be a charmingly irresistible vintage, with plenty of front end-loaded fruit and purity, and the cooler year meant that lots of very perfumed wines have been produced. I think readers will be surprised by how many excellent wines were turned out in 2009, although it is going to be an irregular vintage, as the mountain vineyards and cooler terroirs were clearly harvested post-deluge, and many of them were adversely affected.†The Wine Advocate

OUR TASTING NOTES: Ripe black cherry and currant berry fruit with notes of tobacco spice and dark chocolate along with hints of fresh earth and graphite mineral nuance. On the palate this wine is smooth and drinks very nicely right out of the bottle, a real crowd pleaser style with ripe round tannins and hints of earth and spice on the finish. Finish 40 TASTING DATE 10/12/11.