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oakville appellation napa valley vineyards

WELCOME TO VINE CLIFF ESTATE
Nestled in the Oakville hills along the Silverado Trail, our Oakville estate vineyards produce small lots of intensely-flavored handcrafted premium Cabernet Sauvignon as well as other red varietals. The winery was founded in 1871 and resurrected in the late 1980s, like the ‘phoenix from the ashes' in the Vine Cliff symbol, by the Sweeney Family. 
"A semi-circle of inaccessible rocky side-hills, in the canyon in which nestle the buildings, has, by the energy of man, been turned into a useful and picturesque piece of property. Hundreds of tons of rock have been patiently gathered off the hillsides, which now teem with grapevines. Truly does it look…as though the finger of enchantment has been pointed at its frowning, rocky surface, and changed into a thing of beauty and joy forever.”

Description of the Estate – 1873

 
in the oakville appellation

The Oakville Winegrowers Association says of the Oakville Appellation (granted AVA status in 1993), three years after Vine Cliff’s first Cabernet Sauvignon release, ‘Napa Valley’s diverse. well-drained soils, sun-drenched summers and cool, dry falls make much of Napa Valley a superior place to grow Cabernet Sauvignon. All wine grapes are finicky in their own quirky ways, and minute differences can be the reason between good wine and great ones. When it comes to growing Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville isn’t too hot, it isn’t too cold, it is just right. That’s why Cabernet Sauvignon from Oakville so perfectly expresses the essential qualities of Cabernet Sauvignon in deep, complex wines with the structural integrity of acid and tannin that preserves the best wines for decades.’

The Oakville Appellation is home to some of the great Cabernet Sauvignon wineries besides Vine Cliff. Other Oakville wineries include Joseph Phelps, Groth, Far Niente, Plumpjack, Rudd, Miner as well as Peter Michael, Silver Oak, Screaming Eagle, Harlan and Dalla Valle.

Climate: Moderately warm, temperatures can reach the mid-90°F (35°C), but also strongly affected by fog, which helps keep acidity levels good; east side of the AVA receives more of the warmer afternoon sun

Elevation: 75 to 500 ft (23 to 152 m)

Rainfall: 35 inches (89 cm) annually

Soils: Primarily sedimentary gravelly alluvial loams on the west, with more volcanic but heavier soils on the east; low-to-moderate fertility and fairly deep 

Principal varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc


Vine Cliff has continuously made the small farming improvements that lead to superior fruit at Oakville.

The Vine Cliff winemaking team implemented programs for vertical shoot positioning and lateral removal to improve crop quality. Canopy is managed to provide air circulation, to expose ‘cool side’ clusters to more sun while shading ‘hot side’ fruit. Rather than having a pre-set watering schedule, the team monitors vine stress through a process called ‘pressure bombing’ and adjusts the watering cycle on an almost vine-by-vine basis. The goal is to encourage even ripening throughout each block.

Vine Cliff also introduced natural pest control methods. Perches were placed throughout the vineyards to invite the hawks and owls, natural local predators, to forage. Two bird houses were constructed to accommodate kestrels.

The Sweeney Family has planted over 1,300 vines of Cabernet Sauvignon to the acre at the Vine Cliff Oakville Estate. Vine configuration (vertical trellises) and clonal selections that are low in vegetative growth and low in yield sacrifice quantity for quality. Along with the famous Oakville terroir, this farming approach gives Vine Cliff Cabernet Sauvignon powerful fruit flavor and low tannins, creating some of the Valley’s most elegant wines, approachable on release but capable of developing exceptional complexity with bottle age.