Melanson Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
⏳ Drikkevindue
Typically best enjoyed 8–25 years from the vintage release, as its powerful mountain structure rewards patient cellaring.
🍽️ Mad & Vin-match
Prime ribeye steak, roasted rack of lamb, braised beef short ribs
✨ Tekniske specifikationer
Perched high on the rugged, boulder-strewn slopes of Pritchard Hill, the Melanson Vineyard is a masterclass in mountain viticulture. Sitting at an elevation of roughly 800 to 1,000 feet on the eastern side of Napa Valley, this vineyard features steep, iron-rich volcanic soils that force the vines to struggle for survival. Grower Greg Melanson has meticulously farmed this extreme terrain, where the intense sun exposure and cooling afternoon breezes from Lake Hennessey create a dramatic diurnal shift. This unique microclimate yields tiny, thick-skinned Cabernet Sauvignon berries of immense concentration and structural power. Under the guidance of winemaker Jeff Ames, TOR coaxes the essence of this formidable terroir using native yeast fermentations and aging in prime French oak barrels, bottling the wine unfined and unfiltered to preserve its raw mountain character, intense dark fruit, and signature crushed-rock minerality.
🍾 Om vinhuset / producenten
TOR Wines er et eksklusivt vinhus i St. Helena i Californien, grundlagt i 2001 af Napa Valley-veteranen Tor Kenward og hans hustru Susan. Med udgangspunkt i Kenwards næsten tre årtiers ledelseserfaring i tæt samarbejde med legendariske vinbønder og winemakere hos Beringer Vineyards, har vinhuset dedikeret sig til enkeltmarksvine i stærkt begrænsede mængder fra de ypperste parceller i Napa Valley. TOR har særligt fokus på historiske terroirs af grand cru-kaliber, herunder især Beckstoffer To Kalon, Beckstoffer Dr. Crane og Cimarossa Vineyard. Vinifikationen følger en minimalistisk filosofi med maksimal fokus på markernes autentiske særpræg, og huset nyder international anerkendelse for sine kraftfulde, gemmeværdige Cabernet Sauvignon-vine, raffinerede Chardonnayer og sjældne, udtryksfulde Syrah-aftapninger.
🍇 Grape Varieties
Cabernet Sauvignon