“A&D VINEYARD” is located at the Ashes & Diamonds estate in the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley.
Its alluvial soils derive from volcanic and marine sediments washed down from the Mayacamas Mountains into gravelly clay loam. Oak Knoll’s lingering morning fog and afternoon sea breezes support a moderate growing season favoring temperance over heat spikes.
Discover the Ashes & Diamonds wines!!
Planted in 1986 to Clone 214 from Caldwell Nursery in the Cabernet Franc block, and Joseph Phelps and Robert Mondavi field selections for the Merlot block, the vineyard is farmed organically with minimal irrigation save for the driest of summer days.
The Visual is key
A gleaming, glass-walled complex at the foot of Highway 29, it pays homage to the Napa Valley of the 1960s – an era when the prevailing style was less oaky, lower alcohol and characterised by more restraint. “Expressive, living wines,” says Khaledi. “Wines with personality, that were honest about what they were.”
Planted to Clone 6 and Clone 4, under thin, gravelly soils, the resulting Cabernet Sauvignon reaffirms Tchelistcheff’s quote that “it takes Rutherford dust to grow great Cabernet”—a description of the dusty, elegant-textured tannins and minerality ofthe wines that result from the Rutherford AVA.
VIDEO: Ashes & Diamonds Tour
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