Vineyard 36 The Black Aces Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2021

Professional sports and winemaking share many facets regarding the driving forces behind the businesses, from the desire to achieve perfection and determination necessary for that pursuit, the camaraderie of working with a team towards one goal, and the high-stakes nature of attempting to achieve greatness within the one chance of a single season or in the case of wine, a single vintage.  Great winemakers and exceptional athletes possess one trait that threads through all these notions and powers their endeavors:  passion.  Vineyard 36 vintners Tim Gleason and Cam Ward learned of and embraced the world of fine wine while playing for the National Hockey League.  Like many oenophiles, the two began dreaming of crafting Napa Valley wines of their own while sipping many a special bottle with dear friend Jason Earnest.  What sets these three apart is their resolve to turn their reverie into reality.

Building the right team is crucial in any "championship-winning" undertaking, and the Vineyard 36 guys felt an immediate kinship in meeting winemaker Keith Emerson.  Keith is a Boston native who moved to California after reading an article about winemaking and deciding to jump careers and attend the esteemed UC Davis.  He graduated with a degree in Fermentation Science with an emphasis on Enology and Viticulture.  After honing his skills with stops at Cakebread Cellars, Gundlach Bundschu (California's oldest continuously family-owned winery), Palliser Estate in New Zealand, Robert Craig, and others, a winemaker friend referred him to a position at Vineyard 29 in Saint Helena.  Today, Keith is the Director of Winemaking at Vineyard 29 and runs personal labels Emerson Brown, Sonría, and atLarge.  His addition to the Vineyard 36 team in 2017 made complete sense as Keith shares the team's vision to create "powerful, elegant, and complex wines that express the essence of the region."

Making great wine begins in the vineyard, and exemplifying the intricacies of Napa Valley as a region means establishing relationships with the most caring growers, which is paramount.   Therefore, Keith and the Vineyard 36 team emphasize the importance of sourcing impeccable fruit first and foremost.  Each wine in their portfolio tells a story of the terroir, the varietal, and the vintage.  The Black Aces blends Cabernet Sauvignon from three select vineyards in Rutherford & Oakville (Renteria, Rivett, and Beckstoffer Georges III.)  With The Black Aces, Keith proves that Cabernet can be a genuinely versatile grape, and when thoughtfully coaxed, different clones and vineyard expressions can blend seamlessly for a whole greater than the parts.  Like a winning hockey team made up of differently skilled players with a shared ambition in mind to win.

Aged in 70% new French oak, the 100% Cabernet Sauvignon is pure and elegant.  This wine marks the largest production yet for the Vineyard 36 crew and comes in at only 300 cases made.  Concentrated cassis, black plum, and wild blueberry aromas embrace a palate of purple flowers, milk chocolate, and freshly turned soils.  Textured and round, the wine lingers on the palate with a final uplifting touch of acidity.  Savor now with your wine-loving friends or tuck away in the cellar for a celebratory delight in later years.