Levy & McClellan Cabernet Sauvignon

Bob Levy and Martha McClellan — the winemaking architects behind Harlan Estate and Sloan respectively — planted this 6-acre hillside site off Franz Valley School Road in 1999, with David Abreu overseeing the initial vineyard setup. The estate sits at approximately 500 feet elevation on the western foothills of the Mayacamas Mountains, where Aiken Loam over compressed tufa anchors the Cabernet Sauvignon blocks, delivering the mineral tension and structural density that distinguishes mountain-grown Napa fruit from valley-floor counterparts. Cool Pacific air funnels through the Calistoga Gap between Diamond Mountain and Mount St. Helena, moderating ripening across the north–south oriented rows.

The winemaking signature is singular in California: grapes are hand-placed into new 225L French oak barrels (Taransaud and Djarnajou cooperages), heads sealed, and the barrels rolled on rollers during fermentation — replacing punch-downs and pump-overs entirely. Three to four fermentation barrels consolidate into one barrel for aging. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered, preserving the textural complexity that this labour-intensive extraction method produces. Yields of 1–2 tons per acre under organic, dry-farmed conditions concentrate the fruit further.

The 2014 delivers dark, concentrated fruit threaded with Asian spice and cedar, with polished tannins carrying no harsh edges — a long, resonant finish that rewards cellaring. Total production across both cuvées sits near 500 cases, making this allocation-only release exceptionally scarce.