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Wine Description
The Story
This gently sloping site is relatively cool, and is protected from the intensity of the late afternoon heat during the height of the growing season. The gravelly loam soils provide excellent drainage and wonderful fruit purity. Helms Vineyard Cabernet displays the classic profile of the Rutherford Bench: dark fruit, richly layered with a touch of spice and earth. The finely grained “dusty” tannins so prevalent in the appellation are integrated and harmonious, producing a wine of sophistication and depth.
Dana's commitment to converting our vineyards to dry-farming continues to show positive results. Dry farming encourages the roots to dig deep for water, and increases their ability to with stand heat events. As a result the vines produce wines that are more vibrant and representative of the terroir. The even temperatures over the summer and fall ripened the vineyard evenly, allowing the team to harvest all of Helms in only two days. They started with the clone 337 on October 9th. The SEE clone in front of the winery was picked the next day on October 10th. Both picks were fermented in upright oak tanks. The fruit was macerated for 35 days. After native yeast fermentation the wines were pressed directly to barrel, where native malolactic fermentation took place.
Wine Information
Our philosophy of minimal intervention in the vineyard is realized through organic farming, a focus on soil health and minimal irrigation. The result is healthy vines that are balanced and produce thick skinned darkly colored grapes. This equates to wines with perfumed aromatics, precise flavors, and silky tannins. The mild summer and fall allowed for slow even ripening and we started harvest a two week later than average. The majority of the vineyard was picked on October 17th and 19th. The fruit was near perfect with moderately sized berries and no dehydration. The fruit was fermented in an oak upright tank on skins for 30-33 days. Smaller lots were fermented in a mix of small and large barrels for 32 days. The wines were drained directly into barrel. The wine was racked once for blending in the spring of 2019 and then aged on fine lees until bottling.
Vintage 2018
The season started off with a dry January and February making us uneasy after the drought years of 2013-2016. However, March and April brought ample rainfall to fill the soil reservoir giving the vine ample access to soil nutrients. The later rains delayed budbreak a few weeks with the growing season starting in the first couple weeks in April. Mild temperatures in April and May brought steady canopy growth through bloom at the beginning of June. The perfect weather during set in addition to the wet 2017 winter set the vines up for a larger than average crop. A hot July helped shift the vines from shoot growth to berry ripening mode. The rest of the season was mild with only a few hot days, perfect weather for developing color and flavor while moderating sugar levels at peak ripeness. The 2018 wines express dense color, polished tannins, and an almost perfect balance of fruit and acidity.
