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Premiere Napa Valley 2024

ABOUT THE VINEYARD

Clearly visible from Alpha Omega winery, Angels Vista is nestled in the Vaca Mountains between the Rutherford and Pritchard Hill growing regions with dramatic vistas of Lake Hennessey and the valley floor below. Historically used as a cattle ranch, after a twenty-five-year process of planning and development we have been blessed with two small, perfectly situated blocks in this nine-year-old vineyard. The angelic beauty of expertly farmed rows running up and down dramatic hillsides, the meticulously trained vines and the soaring vistas from 1,000 feet all seem heaven sent and fortunately not just for Angels.

Angels Vista is a very small piece of Upper Range Vineyard, a joint project between the Bettenelli and Rodgers families. Just east of the Silverado Trail, this 100-acre sustainably farmed vineyard is broken up into several separate vineyards as you move higher in elevation and east towards Lake Hennessey. The two blocks that comprise Angels Vista are C8, a dramatic south facing slope which is one of the highest blocks in Upper Range and E1, an east facing hillside which is closer to Lake Hennessey. These two blocks together total less than four acres.

VINTAGE NOTES

Late winter rains and dry, mild conditions in January through March provided an early bud break that was followed by alternating warm and cool periods through June, highlighted by a rare hailstorm in early May. Fortunately, flowering was not affected in our vineyards and steady summer weather settled in until the first week of September when temperatures crept above 100° for several days.

The short September heat spell coupled with the vintage’s early start encouraged earlier than usual harvesting for up valley vineyards. Cooler weather and much needed rain after the heat spell allowed many of our hillside vineyards like Angels Vista to finish ripening and were harvested later in the month. Overall quality is excellent with abundant color and a broad spectrum of fruit forward flavors and textures.

WINEMAKING

This wine is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. After optical sorting, 100% of this wine was barrel fermented in French oak barriques, 30% new and 70% neutral. The wine was then aged for 18 months in French oak, 50% new and 50% neutral barriques. The wine is unfined and unfiltered.

“The debut of Angels Vista has been twenty-five years in planning and development, it is a privilege to work with this caliber of grapes from one of the most dramatically situated and expertly farmed vineyards in the Napa Valley.”
Winemaker Matt Brain