Grape Culture Dualridge Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain 2022

When we first heard about Grape Culture, owner and winemaker Collin Cranor was sitting in ACME's gallery enjoying an IPO Tasting and admiring our famous wall of Napa Valley launches and legends. When booking this tasting for old winemaker friends, little did we know that Collin was imagining his burgeoning brand on this very wall. That day, he introduced his debut brand, Grape Culture, to ACME and shared his dedication to producing site-driven Napa Valley wines. Grape Culture represents Collin's profoundly personal gamble to put everything on the line by moving his successful and established family winery (Nottingham Cellars) from Livermore to Napa Valley to shoot his shot.

Collin grew up in the East Bay, in Castro Valley, in a family that loved and appreciated wine. As a child, he vividly remembers playing in the sun-dappled vineyards of Duckhorn, Silver Oak, and Cakebread while his parents enjoyed an idyllic afternoon of wine tasting in the Napa Valley. His father was always considered the wine guru of his family and circle of friends and helped instill a love of wine in Collin. So, after dabbling in winemaking for several years, and with Dad's encouragement, in 2009, Collin founded Nottingham Cellars in the nearby promising wine community of Livermore Valley. Grapes had long been grown in the area, but Collin's wines helped foster awareness of the region in publications like the Wine Enthusiast. And they garnered many accolades. But, as for many winemakers, Napa continued to loom large in both his memory and psyche as it represented the pinnacle of viticultural and winemaking achievement. So, in 2018, Collin hired his talented friend Craig Ploof as Director of Winemaking and relocated his family to Napa to found Grape Culture.

Since 2018, Collin has searched the valley for vineyard partners, carefully researching and selecting growers whose unique sites intrigue his curiosities, but more importantly, where he can establish long-term relationships. The newest vineyard in Grape Culture's line-up is a small plot in Napa Valley's first sub-AVA. Resting at 1,750 feet above sea level and atop the quintessential Howell Mountain red volcanic and white tufa soils sits the Dualridge Vineyard. Proprietors Tony Phipps and Lucas Vitale acquired the property in 2022 and brought vineyard manager Mark Neal and his team on to breathe new life into the vines. 2022 was also the first vintage Grape Culture began crafting a Dualridge Cabernet Sauvignon. The 100% Cabernet Sauvignon enjoyed 22 months in 75% new French oak barrels coopered by Darnajou and Taransaud. Collin and Craig love how effortlessly the fruit exudes the power, concentration, and dark-fruited tones Howell wines are known for. While the full-bodied palate showcases the structured tannins that make this an age-worthy bottle, bursts of red and blue fruit flavors offer a lifted finish.