2018 Cain Vineyard & Winery Cain Five, Spring Mountain District, USA

Harvest & Varietal Information

Vineyard: 100% Cain Vineyard, Spring Mountain District, Napa Valley

Varieties: 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc,

4% Malbec, 4% Petit Verdot

Release date: September 1, 2022

Production: 5,500 (9L) cases    

   The 2018 Cain Five marks a milestone in the history of the Cain. It shows best the potential of the Cain Vineyard, what has been accomplished to date, and its promise for the future. The depth and complexity, the subtle aromas of flowers, herbs, forest, and earth, along with the delicate silky texture, all reflect a wine utterly unique in the world of Napa Cabernets—indeed, the Cain Five is unto itself.

   The Cain Vineyard grows in a spectacular terraced bowl, carved into the crest of the Mayacamas Range at the south-west corner of the Spring Mountain District. Unlike most of Spring Mountain, and the Mayacamas in general, the soils here are formed almost entirely from sedimentary rock, some 140 million years old, of the Franciscan Mélange, which was exposed over the last million years as this slope of the mountain slipped down into the Napa Valley. The poor clay, shale soil is a key factor contributing to the aromas and texture of the Cain Five. Moreover, the vineyard has steep exposure to all points of the compass and ranges in elevation from 2100 feet all the way down to 1400 feet. This diversity contributes to the complexity of the Cain Five. Finally, the elevation and exposure to the cool, moist winds from the Pacific, some 35 miles to the west, contribute to the delicate freshness and long ageability of the Cain Five.

   Given the unique character of the vineyard, it would be a mistake to try to manipulate the wine in the cellar. Naturally, the grapes are allowed to ferment with their native yeast, maceration is gentle, and likewise the élévage in barrels is gentle and progressive. Ultimately, after almost two years, the wine is bottled with a light egg-white fining and no filtration.

   There have been a number of milestones in the history of the Cain: 1980, when the Cains purchased the heart of the historic McCormick Ranch and first began developing the vineyard; 1990, when the first wholly estategrown Cain Five was harvested; 2007, when, following ten years of redevelopment due to Phylloxera, the Cain Vineyard again yielded 100% estate-grown Cain Five; and 2020, when, in the midst of harvest, the Cain Vineyard was decimated by wildfire, and the winery was lost along with the 2019 and 2020 vintages. In 2021, we reached a new milestone with the start of the second redevelopment of the Cain Vineyard. With all that we have learned over four decades of work, we know that the renewed Cain Vineyard will be even more vibrant, better-suited to its place, and best-adapted for the future. Christopher Howell, Wine-Grower