2021 Mending Wall Tournahu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Mending Wall Winery is an artisanal winemaking venture based on the poetry of wine and named for some poetry by Robert Frost. Mending Wall, one of Frost’s most famous poems, is about two neighbors who meet once year to repair the wall that separates their property. The proprietors of Mending Wall winery say that their winemaking philosophy is “about coming together to explore and question the established boundaries in winemaking.” And they have the team to do it. Thomas Rivers Brown, one of Napa’s star winemakers, is winemaker and one of the proprietors. The other proprietors are Kathy and Frank Dotzler, owners of Outpost Winery, and Mark Pulido and Donna Walker, who founded a Napa Valley winery they named after themselves. Mending Wall is on the famed Silverado Trail and produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah and a white blend. The debut vintage was the 2013. The wines are generally available only through the estate mailing list.

St. Helena AVA is at the northern end of Napa Valley just north of Rutherford and south of Calistoga. It is a relatively warm climate thanks to the Mayacamas Mountains on its western edge, which protect it from Pacific Ocean fog. Out of the 9,000 acres in the appellation, some 1,500 are under vine. The principal grapes grown in St. Helena are the Bordeaux grapes of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. St. Helena is considered prime wine producing territory, and it was one of the first important wine producing regions in northern California. The legendary Charles Krug founded his winery just north of the town of St. Helena in 1873, and today the appellation is home to many prestigious producers, including Abreu, Grace Family and Spottswoode.

One of the most widely grown grape varieties, it can be found in nearly every wine growing region. A cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. It’s a hardy vine that produces a full-bodied wine with high tannins and great aging potential.