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Maître de Chai

Maître de Chai "Gala Mountain" Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California 2022

Maître de Chai "Gala Mountain" Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California 2022

Regular price $64.00 USD
Regular price Sale price $64.00 USD
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THE WINE: The Gala Mountain Vineyard sits at 1,000 ft. above the Napa Valley on the slopes of Mt. George, just east of the city of Napa. This northwest facing, terraced vineyard was planted in 1992 on rocky volcanic bedrock with sandy topsoil and is cooled by the constant breezes from the San Pablo Bay. The vines are well drained, deep rooting & produce small clusters, which lend to the structure of the wine. This six acre vineyard was converted from organic to biodynamic farming in 2018 and is tended to by hand. The grapes were destemmed & fermented with their native yeasts in small oak and stainless steel open top fermenters, and aged for eighteen months in neutral oak barrels. Sixteen barrels produced.

THE PRODUCER: In the case of Alex Pitts and Marty Winters of the Maitre de Chai winery, both food and wine figure prominently in their resumés. Having worked in top kitchens, cellars and even as front-of-the-house sommeliers, this combined experience has informed their approach to making their own wines. Their winery, Maitre de Chai, was established in 2012. Together they look to make wines of high quality in a way that best showcases the ingredients that top California vineyards can produce. From unique and distinct single vineyards that are impeccably farmed, they seek a sense of place where the grapes are grown as well as a true personality of the sites. Their wines obviously are meant to go with food, and not surprisingly, have always been mainstays in restaurants.

The wines of Maître de Chai demonstrate a commitment to the less is more approach. The winemaking goal is to capture the purity of fruit and site specificity without the interference of oak (no new oak is utilized in the cellar), additives, or excessive use of sulphur.. All ferments are done using native yeasts and all the winemaking and elevage is done at their own facility located in Berkeley. Although they are always on the look for top vineyard sites, the roster includes: Ellison Vineyard on Sonoma Mountain (Sauvignon Blanc), Wheeler Vineyard in San Benito (Chardonnay), Stampede Vineyard in Clement Hills (Zinfandel), and Gala Vineyard in Napa (Cabernet).

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