Back in 2004 and 2005, while winemaker at Quintessa, I embarked on the fascinating but ultimately unsuccessful process of shepherding a new A.V.A (American Viticultural Area) in to being.  For those of you familiar with the valley it is the Coombesville / Tulocay area in southeast Napa.  No one doubts that the area has typicity and character perfect for its being denoted as a distinct A.V.A., what they can’t agree on is the name.

Anyway, while in charge of the project I drove up and down every lane and driveway in the region, walking the vineyards, doing intense tastings of the micro-regions.  It became clear to me that Cabernet Franc was THE varietal best suited to such terroir and as luck would have it, I tracked down just what I wanted in a vineyard owned by D.J and Diane Smith.

In 2007, the Smiths agreed to sell me some but it turned out – as sometimes sadly happens – that there were overlapping contracts.  I got half the tonnage I was hoping to get, and for one year only.  So this is it, the only bottling of this wine that will ever exist.  I will shed a tear every time I drive by.