Kirchhoff Family Wines Home Ranch Red Clarksburg 2016

An exciting new red blend from one of our favorite young, up-and-coming winemakers here in the Napa Valley: Clayton Kirchhoff, recipient of the San Francisco Chronicle’s Winemaker to Watch accolade. Clayton has made wine with the cool kids at Realm, our pals at White Rock Vineyards, and presently is the winemaker at the celebrated Hudson Vineyards just south of us in Carneros. Originally from Clarksburg, he has a particular affinity for the beautiful wines from his hometown, a little over an hour east of Napa. We are proud to finally share his handiwork with our club members, as we heard excited whispers about this soulful and lush wine for a while now. Clayton's folks, Craig and Nancy Kirchhoff, live and farm south of Clarksburg, CA, on the Sacramento River Delta. The Clarksburg Appellation’s fertile soils and warm days allow for strong vine growth, with the Delta breeze allowing the vines to cool down and rest at night. A true family business, their estate grown vineyards are cultivated by ALL members of the Kirchhoff family. The family takes a hands-on, natural approach to grape growing: their estate vineyards are hand pruned, picked, and tended. They are also adherents of dry farming and organic and sustainable agriculture. These techniques evoke the most flavorful expression that their land offers, and by following these practices, they preserve it for future generations to come. The mindset is decidedly hands-off in the cellar, as Clayton does as little as possible to manipulate the wines, never adding sugars and only using naturally occurring yeasts. What he gets, in the end, is a pure, natural product that the entire family is proud to put their name on the label. These wines are handmade with love in the truest sense of the word. Growing grapes is more than an occupation for the Kirchhoff family; it is a passion that drives them day in and day out to produce the highest quality achievable. Clayton was convinced that Clarksburg had the climate and soils to grow world-class Tempranillo after a harvest at legendary Dominiode Pingusin Spain’s Riberodel Duero region. 100% dry farmed and estate-grown, the Home Ranch Red is a blend of 70% Tempranillo and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine was one of the first three wines Clayton ever produced under the family label and has struck a note with his family and their followers alike. Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon play off each other’s strengths and come together in a formidable yet smooth and serious wine. This simple blend is anything but simplistic, with Tempranillo adding a flair but not overpowering the varietal symbiosis. It is super fresh and juicy, the result of 23 months in neutral French oak. This wine is full of vibrant flavors of raspberry, boysenberry, and red cherry with hints of orange peel and savory spice with a lip-smacking finish. Simply put, it is pure joy in a bottle and pairs well with red meats, hearty stews, and aged cheeses. Just 12 barrels produced.