Our 1995 Estate Cab was included in a Gordon Getty re-play of the Paris Tasting as a prelude to his Imagine Auction in 1998. We were so excited to have our wine included and then extactic to have taken 1st place. The 2007 Estate Cab is a similar wine with beautiful structure, balance and abundant fruit. We can’t wait to release it. This wine will also hold its own with the best of the best!

I had such a good time sharing the 2007 Estate Cab at 2 pre-release tastings in Houston; one for the trade and one at Vin de Garde, a private storage facility.  The buzz started and hasn’t stopped yet!  Once you taste it, you too will be talking!

Verasion is the transition from berry growth to ripening. when the fruit begins to turn from green to red for red varieties  or golden for white varieties.  Typically harvest begins 60 to 65 days following verasion.  At Clark-Claudon Vineyards we have begun this process which means our harvest will begin in mid October; 30 days later than usual.  Since  we historically have 3 weeks from the beginning of harvest to the end that means we could finish just in time for Halloween.  Vineyards in even cooler areas might be harvesting right up to Thanksgiving!

There are rumors that this cool system is leaving.  I hope that means a warming trend without any rain in sight!

Clark-Claudon Featured in Back Lane Wineries of Napa Valley

Back Lane Wineries was written by Tilar Mazzeo, author of New York Times best selling biography, “The Widow Clicquot,” and the forthcoming, “Secret of Chanel No.5.”  It is a gem of a book for visitors who want to get away from the crowds and commercial center of the Napa Valley and have a more personal & relaxed wine country experience. It was a pleasure to share our wine and a tranquil visit on the vineyard cottage deck. Tilar is definitely a writer worth following!  www.littlebookroom.com/napa.html

 Clark-Claudon Cabernet Featured in the Second Printing of Decanting Napa Valley; The Cook Book

Available this Fall…more info coming; www.decantingwinecountry.com

 We appreciate all of our customers who have continued to support us and other artisan producers.  Together we are sustaining the art, the passion and the soul found in great wine.

It was a Buen Dia; 'good day'!

…funky barn, yummy wine, sticky fingers, hand filler, purple smiles, crooked labels, family fun, laughter, hand corking, amazing sky, vineyard beauty, new friends…

If you weren’t…you should have been there!

Next Event: October 2010

Barrel Party/2007 Release Celebration/2010 Harvest Party all rolled into one

Floods in Tennessee, Heat in Texas & Rain at Home
I returned from Hong Kong and then left for Tennessee two days later to participate in our friend and customer Tim Brinkmann’s Wine and Spirits charity event. Sadly, we were derailed by the floods…

Two weeks later I was off to Texas for a short hot market visit and wine dinner. The dinner at Boo Rays in Fort Worth was a night to remember; like no wine makers dinner I have ever experienced. I felt like I was in the bayou for sure. By the end of the evening I had 70 new Clark-Claudon wine loving friends!

Back in the Napa Valley…
In Tennessee there was record breaking rain and floods and in Texas, no one could remember when it had been so hot so early. Of course at home, we were having more rain than I could remember!

Thankfully, Napa Valley is now having perfectly beautiful warm days and cool nights. Just right for our 2010 vintage! It is good to be home…

Since wine making is about the most regulated business there is we had to send a huge packet to the TTB to prove we are who we have always been & have not become felons etc.  I have been assured that the license will be in our hot hands in time for harvest! 

In the interim; what hasn’t made the cut is being sold on the bulk wine market while used barrels & racks are going too.  Since we experienced such frost damage in 2008, the cream of what was harvested, about 20 barrels of 2008 Cab, will be moving with us to Clark-Claudon @ Arkenstone.  That translates to 500 cases.  Once we go through our evaluation process it may go down to 250!

We are so excited about this upcoming vintage.  In many ways it feels like a new beginning.  It has been 20 years since we began to develop our vineyard…I wonder what the next 20 will bring!

More about winemaker changes soon…

After a recent stay, I can confidently recommend everything about this very special place.  During the day you can enjoy; Golden Gate views, luxurious rooms, relaxing porch time, beautiful hikes and a spa & healing arts center.  Then, at the end of the day, the casual elegance of Murray’s Circle, Marine County’s only Michelin rated resaturant, is perfect.  The menu is artistically crafted by Executive Chef Josheph Humphries while the wine cellar, created by Wine Director Dan O’Brien, is one of the most extensive in the country.  I am pleased to note, it includes multiple vintages of Clark-Claudon Cabernet.

Cavallo Point is also great for day trippers.  Enjoy the lively Farley’s Bar, sit on the long white porch or stay a little longer and soak in the warmth from the fire pit as you watch the evening colors change and the lights come alive in San Francisco.  Cavallo Point Lodge is a destination not to be missed.  It is my new favorite place in the San Francisco Bay Area.