ESTATE WINES

In our vineyard, Thomas pays meticulous attention to the subtle variations among our 20 micro-blocks. When Thomas joined Gemstone, he understood immediately that our estate could support three stylistically distinct expressions of Cabernet Sauvignon, and inspired us to recast our offerings to fully honor the unique character of our vineyard.

With our 2015 vintage, we will release three limited-production estate Cabernet Sauvignon selections—Heritage, Alluvial and Ruby—crafted in the style you know and love. We hope you’ll appreciate our tighter focus on what Gemstone Vineyard does best, Cabernet Sauvignon.

2015

Gemstone Heritage Selection
Cabernet Sauvignon

March Release

NOTES 

The 2015 vintage marks our 20th year of winemaking at Gemstone. Since the beginning, we have been committed to small-lot winemaking—in fact, most of our vines date back to original clippings planted more than two decades ago. Our Heritage Cabernet Sauvignon celebrates the diversity of Gemstone Vineyard. The 16 acres of our estate are divided into 20 different micro-blocks according to a wide array of soil types. Each small area is carefully matched to more than 16 different clones, including 10 Cabernet Sauvignon clones, and all blocks are vinified individually from harvest to barrel. This gives our winemaker a unique palette from across our vineyard from which to blend a complex expression of its full character.

This wine is expressive and full-bodied, with deep blue and black fruit aromas, and notes of cinnamon, cedar, tobacco and anise that balance the complex fruit expression. Although this wine is fruit forward and approachable young, its bold tannins will support aging during the next 20 years.

WINEMAKER

Thomas Rivers Brown

APPELLATION

Yountville, Napa Valley

VINIFICATION

Double-sorted, cold-soaked; whole-berry fermentation for 16 days using native yeasts; natural malolactic fermentation for 3 months; bottled unfiltered and unfined

AGING

20 months, 80% new French oak in cooperages including Taransaud, Ermitage, Francois Freres, Baron

PRODUCTION

750 cases

2015

Gemstone Alluvial selection
Cabernet Sauvignon

June Release

NOTES 

Our Alluvial Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced exclusively from the upper blocks of our vineyard that form part of an alluvial fan. This geological feature—the result of the Napa River meeting the foothills of the Vaca mountains—gives us well-draining, rocky soils with low yields of small, extraordinarily concentrated berries. Our Alluvial Cabernet Sauvignon, with its dense core, flinty minerality and forceful tannins, is a bold, focused expression of this distinctive section of our vineyard.

Rich black cherry and plum aromas lead into a hefty, polished palate, revealing notes of cocoa, spice, eucalyptus and crushed rock. Well-established tannins give structure to this powerful, balanced wine that should age beautifully for 20+ years.
 

WINEMAKER

Thomas Rivers Brown

APPELLATION

Yountville, Napa Valley

VINIFICATION

Double-sorted, cold-soaked; whole-berry fermentation for 16 days using native yeasts; natural malolactic fermentation for 3 months; bottled unfiltered and unfined

AGING

20 months, 100% new French oak in cooperages including Taransaud, Ermitage, Francois Freres, Baron

PRODUCTION

750 cases

2015

Gemstone RUBY BARREL SELECTION
Cabernet Sauvignon

September Release

NOTES 

Ruby Cabernet Sauvignon is our smallest-production wine, and it celebrates the smallest, newest member of the Gemstone Vineyard family, our proprietor’s daughter, Ruby. For this wine, our winemaker, Thomas Rivers Brown, carefully selects just four barrels from every vintage, evaluating each individually vinified lot and blending for beautiful balance of fruit character, power, acidity and structure—a complete expression of our estate. We like to think of our Ruby Cabernet Sauvignon as honoring both the legacy of Gemstone Vineyard and the next generation of the Gemstone Vineyard family.

Inky purple-black in color, this dense and complex wine has a nose of intense cassis, blackberries and plums. A succulent, full-bodied palate reveals rich, ripe fruit characters, silky tannins and a powerful, earthy finish. This wine should age well for 20+ years.

WINEMAKER

Thomas Rivers Brown

BLEND

69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc

APPELLATION

Yountville, Napa Valley

VINIFICATION

Double-sorted, cold-soaked; whole-berry fermentation for 16 days using native yeasts; natural malolactic fermentation for 3 months; bottled unfiltered and unfined

AGING

20 months, 100% new French oak in cooperages including Taransaud, Ermitage, Francois Freres, Baron

PRODUCTION

100 cases