CHRIS CORLEY WINES | Napa Valley
S54 E9 | Mountain Fruit on Valley Floor
State Lane Vineyard, Yountville

✍️ In a recent post, I referred to our State Lane Vineyard as ‘mountain fruit on the valley floor’ which prompted some great conversation offline.

🫐 The individual grapes are much smaller at the State Lane Vineyard in Yountville than our other valley floor vineyards, like Knollwood Vineyard in Oak Knoll District, for example.

🍇 The size and cluster structure of our State Lane grapes is similar to mountain fruit that Julianna and I farmed for years.

👊🏼 Smaller grapes have a higher skin to juice ratio, so have the potential to create wines that have more concentration … of everything. The wines from these smaller grapes can be darker in color, have more robust tannins, deeper texture, and fuller midpalate.

🪡 Of course, all of this depends on the winemakers approach with each individual batch … I tailor the winemaking to each individual batch … in effect, approaching the winemaking at State Lane like its a ‘mountain vineyard on the valley floor’.

📸 In the photo below is a typical Cabernet Sauvignon grape from State Lane Vineyard in Yountville (left), and a typical Cabernet Sauvignon grape from Knollwood Vineyard in Oak Knoll District (right), on the same day.

🔍 Observing differences, being inherently and infinitely curious, asking questions, seeking answers are all critical skills for a winemaker. The blend of art, science and magic is what hooked me at very young age!