What a beautiful wine. This is lush, textured and so layered. Delicious. Plum, menthol, mineral, black berry, wild nettle, black currant, cherry plum – and in the mouth this has a beautiful red fruit and floral lift to the dark berry character. Complex and enticing herb and floral notes. Phenomenal persistence and palate presence. Opulent but energized. Lots of tannin presence that will resolve with bottle age. Broad and powerful. Wow.
The spectacular Oakville Ranch Vineyard is located in the eastern hills of Oakville and ranges from an elevation of 600 to 1,000 feet. Views from here span the entire Napa Valley and south to San Francisco. Just below the Pritchard Hill AVA and just above Dalla Valle, Peter Michael’s Au Pardis vineyard and Turnbull’s Fortuna – this is a sweet-spot in the valley for some of Napa’s most heralded wines.
Vineyard manager Phil Coturri does a remarkable job with the vines in these rocky, red volcanic clay loam soils – nurturing the development of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc with incredible power and richness as well as distinctive energy and brightness.
Dakota Shy sources from three blocks of Cabernet Franc and three blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon with a range of clones and rootstocks. The Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon lots are fermented separately and portions are carefully blended with a some going to the Oakville Ranch single vineyard Cabernet Franc and the balance going into our Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon blend.
| Appellation | Oakville |
| Blend | 99% Cabernet Franc, 1% Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Barrel Aging | 18 months, 70% New French Oak |
| Clones | Cabernet Franc Clones 332 & Saunders (Detert), Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 169 & 341 Caldwell |
| Rootstocks | Cabernet Franc on 1103P and 420A, Cabernet Sauvignon on 110R |
| Soils | Red iron-rich clay loam and volcanic rock |
| Vineyard Manager | Phil Coturri |
| Winemaker | Tom Garrett |
| Production | 225 cases, 8 barrels |
