Grazie a Voi Red Blend Napa Valley 2017

There are special projects and then there are REALLY SPECIAL projects. Grazie a Voi ~ a wine that gives back in immeasurable and enduring ways, this is as special as it gets. October 8th, 2017 ~ I remember the night vividly. I was driving home after a fun-filled evening at Karen's house, complete with great food, wine, and laughter. Crossing the valley floor from Highway 29 to the Silverado Trail, the dry wind was wild and whipping from all directions. As I started to head up Deer Park Road towards my home on the top of Howell Mountain, the wind progressed to a ferocious speed with debris from trees savagely swirling above the road in what looked like mini, violent tornados. It felt as though I was passing through the beginning scenes of The Wizard of Oz. Shortly after getting home and settled in, the power went out. And while praying a tree didn't fall on my house, I tucked myself into bed with no idea of the destruction that was about to ensue in the following hours, days, and weeks. The Tubbs Fire started near Tubbs Lane in the northern part of Calistoga just before 10 pm. Pushed by hurricane-level winds from the northeast, the fire ripped through the northern hills of Napa County, traveling through ravines between Mark West Road and the Fountaingrove District of Sonoma, eventually funneling its way down into Santa Rosa, dogged in its resolute path of destruction. By the time of its containment on October 31st, (23 days later!) it had become the most destructive wildfire in California history burning parts of Napa, Sonoma, and Lake counties. (Though the fires in Northern California in 2018 and 2020 have surpassed these tragic statistics). The Tubbs Fire is estimated to have burned 36,810 acres, destroyed over 5,600 homes, leaving an unprecedented number of families homeless, incurred over $100 million in fire suppression costs, and is believed to have been the cause of at least 22 people perishing from its wrath. After waking up the morning up of October 9th, I drove down the hill into Saint Helena and began to hear the stories of the horrifying events from the night before. As most of us in the area did not have electricity, cell service, or internet due to the damaged infrastructure, the destruction that had occurred to the north of us was only hearsay. Over the next few days, we all started to hear the harrowing stories of devastation. Though as the smoke cleared and the shock had begun to wane, the stories of ruin and loss were eclipsed by stories of unwavering courage and the heroic efforts displayed by the firefighters who worked tirelessly to save our community. Hearing these valiant accounts was the first step in the healing process back in 2017 and they have continued to provide strength and perseverance to our community ever since. We will forever be indebted to the men and women who continue to protect our homes, lands, and livelihoods. And though all of the stories are connected to each of us in some way, it is the following one that I have a particular personal bond with, in more ways than one. I first met Louis Ciminelli after having just moved to the Napa Valley. I was working as a sommelier at PRESS, and he was a frequent visitor to wine country, entertaining the dream of one day having a vineyard of his own. We developed a friendship over the years while we both continued to find our places in the Napa wine community; me moving from restaurant to retail by joining the team at ACME, and Louis acquiring two dream properties; one in the northern part of Calistoga that had an existing vineyard that had been planted and farmed by world-renowned Vineyard Manager, David Abreu, and the other, a raw piece of land on the top of Howell Mountain, destined to be planted with vines for his family's future estate. In 2017, while Louis' dream was slowly coming together, the events that transpired that October inspired Louis to do something more. The family's Franz Valley School Road property was in the direct path of the fire ripping through Calistoga and spilling into Santa Rosa, yet it was miraculously spared. Fearing that all had been lost, when access to the area was allowed, Louis and his family returned to find a burn scar encircling the property on three sides, yet the home and vineyard untouched. They also discovered a garden hose stretched across the driveway, clearly dropped in haste by first responders once the threat had passed and their bravery was required elsewhere. The decision was made there and then: the Ciminelli Family Foundation would bottle a wine crafted from fruit that had been harvested weeks prior to the fires starting, and all proceeds from its sale would be donated to Cal Fire (California's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection). Grazie a Voi, Italian for 'Thanks to you', is that wine, produced with the intent of honoring the first responders' commitment to the community of Napa Valley. It is with immense honor that ACME has been chosen to help tell the story of these brave firefighters, and to offer this incredibly special, important project to our esteemed clients. Handcrafted by celebrated Winemaker, Nigel Kinsman (Kinsman Eades, Accendo Cellars), this utterly gorgeous wine is a blend of 54% Cabernet Franc, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, and 3% Merlot. The fruit is sourced from two meticulous vineyards in Calistoga (68%) and Howell Mountain (32%), both farmed by David Abreu's renowned vineyard management team, and produced at Wheeler Farms Winery, the St. Helena winery that houses a handful of boutique, luxury wine labels (Accendo, Kinsman Eades, TOR, Vice Versa, Trois Noix). Remarkably rich yet energetic, this big-hearted wine is loaded with ripe black cherry, cassis, graphite, exotic spice, dark cocoa, and richly roasted espresso bean on the palate, powered by undeniable mountain structure and focus. It is ornately complex and cellar-worthy, yet fully approachable and generously opulent now. With Nigel Kinsman and David Abreu having a hand in this wine, one would expect no less. ONLY 45 CASES PRODUCED!