Ghost Block Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville 2019

Who loves a fun ghost story? I sure do, and I know you will enjoy this one too (especially when wine is involved, right?). It was a hot summer day in the early 1980s, and Andy Hoxsey, Ghost Block owner and 4th generation grape grower, was working in his grandfather’s vineyards. After a hard day’s work, he cracked a cold beer at the legendary Yountville dive bar, Pancha’s, when Andy heard a retired veteran ask, “Do you farm that vineyard next to the Yountville cemetery?” Andy replied, “Yes sir, I do!” The veteran proceeded to tell Andy about a ghost he had seen leaving the cemetery and up through his vineyard. Legend has it that George C. Yount, the founder of Yountville who planted the first grapevine in Napa Valley in 1839, was the ghost seen roaming Andy’s family vineyard. The very next morning, Andy went to trademark the name Ghost Block. Two legends were born that day, the ghost of George C. Yount and the Ghost Block Vineyard.

The five generations of Andy’s family heritage tied to Ghost Block originated in 1903 when his grandfather, Joseph Pelissa, immigrated from Italy and planted roots both figuratively and literally in the Napa Valley by purchasing the family’s first 35 acres of land with just a single gold coin. Since planting their first grapes, the family has supplied fruit to some of the most prestigious wineries in the Napa Valley. In 2006, over 100 years after Joseph Pelissa began his family’s legacy, the Pelissa/Hoxsey family decided to create their own wines from their vineyards. Five generations, three brands, and 635 acres later, Andy’s family continues to showcase their passion and significance in the history of Napa Valley. The 2019 Ghost Block Estate Cabernet Sauvignon fruit comes from their family-owned Rock Cairn Vineyard. This 34-year-old vineyard is 100% certified organically farmed. And it has been long sought after by some of Napa Valley’s most prestigious wineries, notably, the single vineyard bottling of Rock Cairn from Nickel & Nickel. It is named for rock cairns left by Native Americans who traveled through the hills of Yountville.

The 2019 vintage embodies the beauty of Oakville, with lovely aromas of blackberry and ripe plum along with sultry tones of dusty earth and leather with hints of sweet bay leaf and baking spices. On the palate, alluring layers of cassis, boysenberry, and black cherry are met with subtle notes of tobacco leaf. The refined, beautifully integrated tannins create a harmonious experience that fills out your palate ultimately ending with a long, elegant finish that leaves you with one word...exceptional. Oakville is where the magic happens, and Ghost Block is a prime example of the endless power and finesse to come out of the area. There are a handful of wines on the ACME shelves that we count as proud overachievers, wines whose quality and pedigree seem to exceed the comparatively undersized price tag on the bottle. This is truly a touchstone bottle for all lovers of exquisite Napa Cabernet Sauvignon with an unbeatable price!