Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard Proprietary Red
⏳ Drinking Window
2024 - 2038
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted prime rib, grilled rosemary lamb chops, aged Gouda cheese
✨ Technical Specifications
The Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard Proprietary Red is a masterclass in tension and opulence, sourced from a spectacular, rocky hillside vineyard located in the cooler southeastern reaches of Napa Valley. Swept by breezes from the nearby San Pablo Bay, this unique terroir features exposed volcanic soils that force the vines to struggle, resulting in remarkably concentrated fruit with vibrant acidity. Winemaker Russell Bevan harnesses this dramatic landscape to craft a proprietary red blend dominated by Cabernet Franc and Merlot. The wine is celebrated for its multi-layered complexity, marrying intense dark fruit flavors with signature notes of crushed stone, graphite, and fresh violets. Aged in premium French oak barrels, it exemplifies a modern, plush California style that balances monumental power with seamless, velvety tannins.
🍾 About the Producer
Bevan Cellars was founded in 2005 by self-taught winemaker Russell Bevan, quickly ascending to cult status within California's fine wine landscape. Celebrated for an unabashedly opulent, hedonistic, and precision-driven winemaking style, Bevan partners with premier growers across premier microclimates in Napa Valley and Sonoma County. Sourcing spans esteemed terroirs such as eastern Oakville's red volcanic and alluvial soils at Tench Vineyard, the rocky slopes of Sugarloaf Mountain, and cool maritime sites in the Russian River Valley and Petaluma Gap. Viticulture emphasizes meticulous canopy control and sustainable vineyard management, harvesting fruit at optimal physiological ripeness. In the cellar, Bevan employs minimal intervention, indigenous fermentations, squeaky-clean sorting regimens, and customized French oak aging. Benchmark bottlings include his single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons such as Tench Vineyard and Sugarloaf Mountain, proprietary red blends like Ontogeny and EE, alongside textural, vibrant Sonoma Coast Chardonnays and Ritchie Vineyard expressions.
🍇 Grapes
Cabernet Franc, Merlot