Terre et Sang Harmon Moulds Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Oak Knoll District 2019

Many relationships make up partnerships for new winery ventures, but the Terre et Sang family is uniquely a mother-son duo.  Dalita and Duncan Harmon are even more unique because they are self-taught in the wine industry.  Each developed a love for drinking wine separately, and only in the late 2010s did they realize they shared these oenophile traits along with taste preferences stylistically.  The fact that neither had held a position at a winery before did not deter mother and son.  They used this “greenness” to their advantage by pushing themselves to learn more and work harder to achieve the unexpected.  Using sheer grit, they approached multiple vineyard owners and asked them to take a chance on a brand-new project.  Something about the pair’s tenacity resulted in a resounding yes from these growers, eager to see what they could accomplish.  The inaugural release of their 2019 vintage proved entirely worth it for those who “took the risk” with a knock-out Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley’s Moulds Vineyard.

As the Harmon family calls the Central Coast of California home, it seemed only natural that the Terre et Sang wines would highlight the region's best vineyards, with the acclaimed Syrah and Grenache varietals along with intriguing blends of both.  However, one of the first acts of business for Dalita and Duncan was honing in on what stylistic approach they would take with their winemaking.  This need meant enjoying the delightful yet tedious task of tasting many wines together.  While their preferences started in different places (early Napa Valley Cabernets for Dalita and Rhône varietals from Paso for Duncan), one shared characteristic was clear-they loved “powerful, yet elegant” red wines.  Therefore, the pair sought out fruit sources not only in Santa Barbara County but also in ACME’s beloved home of Napa Valley.  

The duo was honored to be granted a few rows from the storied Moulds Family Vineyard on the western edge of Oak Knoll District.  Regarding Napa standards, Moulds is a cooler site as the San Pablo Bay is close enough to push cold, maritime winds through the vineyard.  Three different clones from three blocks make up the Terre et Sang Cabernet Sauvignon, and each clone was fermented and aged separately for 20 months in French oak barrels (60% of which were new.) After aging, Duncan blended the three with a final combination of 65.3% Clone 47, 21.5% Clone 169, and 13.2% Clone 685.  The inaugural 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon celebrates the cooler temperature with a flawless balance of acid to brighten the red fruits with a tannic structure that holds depth and intensity.