This is another strong set of wines from Heimark. Winemaker Françoise Peschon (Araujo, VHR, Haut-Brion) describes 2019 as a year with a lot of rain that required constant canopy adjustments, while 2018 was a year to essentially do nothing, or “stand and watch” as she puts it. In just a few vintages, Heimark has established itself as one of the estates to watch in Napa Valley. Vineyard manager Mike Wolf (To Kalon & Scarecrow) rounds out the all-star team.

At the time of purchase, Craig and Libby hired the highly skilled Michael Wolf as their Vineyard Manager to carefully develop the land and plant the vines. They then hired both Harlan Estate’s Mary Hall Maher and winemaking consultant Tony Soter to oversee all viticulture. Fourteen acres were identified for Cabernet Sauvignon and one acre for Petit Verdot. The ‘buried treasure’ of the Heimark Vineyard lies not in the shiny metal that long-ago prospectors sought, but rather in the soil. Rocky, volcanic, and fractured, this challenging southwest-facing terroir cultivates resilient, deeply rooted vines. The struggle that the vines endure in this terrain results in grapes of lustrous quality and intense flavors. And because of these rugged, yet ideal conditions, the Heimark’s have successfully been producing immaculate grapes for their longtime clients who admire this site.

Now, they are turning the page to a new chapter under the sage guidance of the one and only Françoise Peschon. Françoise was the winemaker for the cult-cabernet producer Araujo Estate and has worked for and alongside Bart and Daphne Araujo since the 90s crafting their celebrated wines prior to its purchase by Château Latour in 2013. The San Francisco Chronicle recently named Françoise Winemaker of the Year in 2019, and we all know why: she’s brilliant and her talents are beyond impressive! Working closely with Michael Wolf (distinguished for replanting the To Kalon Vineyard and nurturing the Scarecrow Vineyard), who has managed the estate since day one, Françoise has gorgeously crafted another impeccable bottling of Cabernet Sauvignon from the illustrious Heimark Vineyard. The deep layers of fractured earth have formed a rough and well-drained soil for the vines, which require little water in spite of the elevation of 1,100 feet. The resilient vines strive like native plants, seeking water through fractured layers of volcanic rock and graphite. This results in intensely flavored wines with fine tannins, developing profound complexity with age.