2019 Ashes & Diamonds Blanc No. 5, Napa Valley, California, USA

ABOUT THIS WINE

Made by Steve Matthiasson with fruit from three vineyards in Oak Knoll and Yountville. This is done in the style and as a bit of an homage to the white Bordeaux blends of the lower left bank. This is made with Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc that was entirely barrel fermented with 30ish percent of those barrels being new. The nose shows a light beeswax, a hit of citrus, melon, and a kiss of oak. The palate is light and quite well balanced with melon and beeswax up front held in check by a light oak note. The fruit was harvested on September 5-9. The wine is 100% barrel fermented with no battonage (stirring of the lees) for 10 months in 31% New French Oak (Boutes, Ermitage, Orion). Only 1200 cases produced.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

Ashes & Diamonds Winery is a love letter to Napa Valley as it was when it took the world stage in the 1960s, revealing itself, along with Santa Cruz, as a geological wonderland capable of world-class wines. Kashy Khaledi has built a winery driven by collaboration, seeking the participation of Napa’s great contemporary voices in viticulture and enology. Kashy was compelled to investigate the nuances of the vineyard’s original plantings, Cabernet Franc and Merlot from 1986, and has meticulously done so through organic farming and restrained winemaking—with Steve Matthiasson and Diana Snowden-Seysses at the helm.

Located at the gateway of Napa Valley along its main artery, Highway 29, Ashes & Diamonds Winery’s mid-century approach extends to its architecture. As an homage, the iconic zig-zag roof and portholes are a few of the iconic references to the heritage of California's mid-century modern design, seamlessly integrated with a state-of-the-art wine production facility surrounded by light, airy landscapes and playful, rolling berms.

Ashes & Diamonds Winery is the ultimate convergence of modern and old-school flavors, committed to offering a wide-ranging group of wines that adhere to an ethos of light-handed winemaking and transparency of terroir.