The Conspirator, Napa Valley, United States
The Conspirator is a set of two wines embedded in the historic region of
Oakville in Napa Valley. The impetus of this wine is to provide the best value Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon on the planet, and it is amazing atwhat we make it for. A “Conspiracy” requires you to pay more for Oakville. Check out this video to see where we are. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2efv5TFPCs&list=PLbAS2mG9pzZOQAKUFWTwDI4bNG5sglYIE&index=2
But the wine is more than that. We want to provide the best Cabernet Sauvignon from the best subregion of Oakville in the Napa Valley. We chose Oakville over Rutherford as I prefer the silky tannins you get from here, rather than the grainier ones in Rutherford. Oakville is also slightly cooler than Rutherford, and that matters to hang time. The Vineyard is situated on the UC Davis property on Oakville Grade. Oakville Grade is a very steep, interesting road that takes you up over the Mayacamas Mountains to Sonoma County.
There are a couple of exciting things about this location then. Firstly, it is east facing, therefore only receiving the morning sun. Secondly, the most famous place in all of Oakville, and you could say it is in all of Napa Valley, is To Kalon. The UC Davis properties sit right above To Kalon, west of To Kalon Creek.
Organic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9epOoTro8k&list=PLbAS2mG9pzZOQAKUFWTwDI4bNG5sglYIE&index=2
The Name
There are many “Conspiracies” in the wine industry. The first and most obvious, of course, is the price and value of this wine. The neighbors are Mondavi To Kalon, Beckstoffer To Kalon, Far Niente To Kalon, and 631 Healdsburg Ave, PO BOX 1639, Healdsburg, CA 95448, t: (707) 431-8277 Opus. I am not kidding. These vineyards are on the same fence line and sell for $500 - $ 1,000.
The second Conspiracy is that we need to work with specific clones of Cabernet Sauvignon. There are no Cabernet Sauvignon clones here. Clones were selected for fast sugar accumulation and larger tonnages. These vineyards are “field selections” or “marcel,” as we say in Spanish. The plant material was collected back in the 60s and 70s. These vineyards are unique today, with more randomness in berry shape and more variable flavor. This increases complexity and, with lower yields, more concentration.
Another Conspiracy is that we need to make wine with additives. We add no yeast, acid, or even water when the sugar is too high. We do none of that. We just pick a little earlier to maintain the red fruit elements and tension in the mouth. Less alcohol.
Another Conspiracy involves concrete. I have been making wine in concrete since 1982. Today, we are told that we need to use eggs, crucibles, truncated tanks, etc. Wine is the liquid? It doesn’t know what vessel it's in. Organics, for me, could also fit as a Conspiracy. The world’s most toxic insecticide is Organic. We love regenerative farming, and I feel it is so much better than organic farming. With organics, you till the soil; when you do that, you break down the humus profile and remove organic matter. This is where bacteria and fungi live and turn nutrients into compounds that vines can then take up. When there is no organic matter, nitrogen, potassium, or phosphorus, it needs to be sprayed on the canopy or put through drip irrigation because the plant cannot take it up from the soil.
This leads me to Terroir. If you irrigate, you have changed the terroir. You pick on a Thursday, and I pick on a Friday. Yes, we changed it again. There are many “Conspiracies” in wine that I could go on about, but I think it is best to discuss these “conspiracies " with a good glass of The “Conspirator” Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon.
Winemaking
Firstly, the Cabernet Sauvignon is made from two different blocks based on differences in vigor: one for the Cabernet Sauvignon and the other for the Red Blend. Both are made in a classic Oakville style. As described, these vineyards have a natural elegance and refined tannin feel. My job in winemaking is to enhance the body in the middle palate and build a wine that will be stable in color for years to come. Silkiness is the end goal. We leave the wine on skins for 30-40 days to do this. During this time, I can manipulate the cap by heating and cooling it, releasing more or less CO2 into the wine. I raise and lower the cap based on how I feel the wine's body reacts. At Drain and Press, we keep only around 10% of the press, with the other 15% going elsewhere. We rack three times for clarity, decreasing any turbidity, and pass directly into French oak for 16 months.
The Tasting Conspirator Cabernet Sauvignon
Powerful and radiant purple color. The aromas of true Napa Valley are blueberry, black cherry, and plum. This follows in the mouth as well, but of course, being Oakville means that the tannins are extremely silky and evaporate in the mouth. This is quite different from Rutherford, where tannins are grainier for me. The stability is really good, and I can show you a Cabernet Sauvignon that I made from this vineyard in 1995 that still drinks true and remains red.
