x
  • Weather

    13° C Overcast clouds
  • Time

    17:38 PM
  • Wine average?

    100 Tb
  • Popularity ranking?

    258

History

Ric Forman founded Forman Vineyard in 1983 to fulfill a dream of producing, as a sole proprietor, small quantities of classically made Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.

After a three year search of the Napa Valley for the perfect location, he purchased, in 1978, the current winery/vineyard site which is perched on a ridge at the base of Howell Mountain overlooking the town of St. Helena. A remarkable site, it has produced some unusually elegant wines from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot.

"A philosophy of winemaking which follows more a traditional approach as opposed to technological appealed to me early in my career. I would say that a familiarity with European tradition has seriously influenced my style and hence the fashion with which I designed and built my winery."

Grapes are gently handled from harvest through fermentation. Small stainless steel fermentors for red wines and new Burgundy barrels for white seem fitting for the need to pay close attention to detail during the winemaking process.

Deep caves have been constructed which maintain a cool dark and humid environment in which to age red wine in new French oak barrels. The wines literally age in the soils from which they grew. The integration of the small stone cellar settled in the hillside surrounded by a courtyard and in touch with the deep caves below sets a mood which would recall that of a tiny European estate.

"Thus, with a wonderfully situated vineyard and deliberately planned cellar, I am fulfilling my dream and am constantly vigilant in personally making sure that each step is without compromise in the pursuit of producing the finest quality possible from my estate."

Close

Vineyards

Soil or “terroir” and the climate and exposure in which the soil exists are really the essence of a wine’s personality. Grape vines are tenacious plants and need to search a bit for their survival in order to thrive and achieve ultimate excellence of fruit quality.

Our vineyards are divided into three parcels, each one planted to the four Bordeaux varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Below the winery the “Clos” (enclosure) is deepest in the gravel/sand deposits. Directly above the winery the steeply sloped plot is composed of more dense and larger volcanic rock, so much so that extensive dynamite explosions were needed for rock shattering to facilitate planting. Further up the mountain lies the 3rd parcel which is made up of the same pink gravel but is underlain with a gray volcanic ash. These locations each contribute their subtle differences to the wine, the whole of which is a synergy of complexity.

Farming is very traditional in a Bordelaise sense. A classical vertical trellis system is used with meticulous hand placement of the canopy to expose the maximum leaf surface to nourish the developing grapes. Throughout the growing season each vine is tended to no less than 16 times. Canopy training, suckering, leaf removal and multiple green grape thinning goes on from mid- April through mid-August, all done by hand to assure accuracy and quality judgment.

Vineyard Founded: 1979

Vineyard Appellation Designations:
8.5 acres – at winery location – St. Helena Appellation
20 acres – above winery – St. Helena Appellation
60 acres – Rutherford Bench Appellation

Harvest: by hand

 

Close

Winemaking

Vinification: 2-4 tons jacketed stainless steel for red; 225 liter Burgundy barrels for white

Length of Fermentation: 3-4 weeks

Malolactic: Red: always in barrel / White: no malolactic

Barrels:
75% new, 25% two year old barrels
Red: Several Bordeaux coopers
White: Francois Frères; 10% new; 90% mix 2-4 year old barrels

Bottling:
100% Estate bottled

Blends:
Red: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot
White: 100% Chardonnay

Close
Incorrect Information
If you found some information that is wrong, let us know
UPGRADE MEMBER PLAN
Upgrade your membership now, it's quick and easy. We use PayPal, the world's largest payment system, it accepts all credit cards. Once you've chosen your membership level, you'll go directly to PayPal. You can cancel your membership at any time.
Thank you for your support!
 

Pro Member

 

Winemerchant Member

 

Winery Member

 

User

 

HOW TO USE TASTINGBOOK?

We recommend you to share few minutes for watching the following video instructions of how to use the Tastingbook. This can provide you a comprehensive understanding of all the features you can find from this unique service platform.

This video will help you get started



Taste wines with the Tastingbook


Create Your wine cellar on 'My Wines'



Explore Your tasted wines library



Administrate Your wine world in Your Profile



Type a message ...
Register to Tastingbook
Sign up now, it's quick and easy.
We use PayPal, the world's largest payment system, it accepts all credit cards.
Once you've chosen your membership level, you'll go directly to PayPal, where you can sign up for a free 7-day trial period. You can cancel your membership at any time. We wish you a rewarding journey to the world of Fine Wines.

Free 7 days Member trial

 

Member

 

Pro Member

 

Winemerchant Member

 

Winery Member

 

User

  Register