The Vineyards
After five vintages spent exploring three sites on the Valley floor, we felt it was our duty to expose a different perspective to our debaters. The area we moved to is as diverse, complex and distinctive as the Valley floor, with dramatically different profiles that we are sure you will enjoy. Mountain and hillside profiles, due to their topography and water circulation, give vines with smaller berries, and therefore, wines with more concentration. Each of these vineyards is distinctly different even though they are mere miles apart moving north along the eastern hills of the Vaca Mountain Range. Crafted by Jean Hoefliger using the same winemaking techniques, these three wines show the true diversity of terroir and the art of interpretation. Let’s elevate THE DEBATE!Cabernet Sauvignon
Artalade Vineyard is a portion of the Montanga Estate located on Pritchard Hill, neighboring famous estates such as Colgin, Chappellet and Tusk. Pritchard Hill is known for its volcanic and iron soils with a hint of clay. Artalade sits in a unique geographical part of the “hill” perched at the edge of the Vaca Mountain Range at 1,100 feet in altitude. Newton Vineyard sits atop Spring Mountain at approximately 1,600 feet and has a true history within Jean’s life as it was his first head winemaking position in the US. Come full circle years later, Jean began working with them again in 2018 and his passion for a particular block “White Rock” led to Jean getting access to it for The Debate. High elevation, combined with amazingly diverse soils that are interspersed with natural forest, results in wines that are complex, layered, and engaging. Denali is west to southwest facing St Helena vineyard overlooks Joseph Phelps Vineyard at about 500 feet of elevation. The gravelly and sandy loam vineyard is shared between renowned winemakers Michel Rolland, Celia Welch, Phillipe Melka, Thomas Brown and ours truly Jean Hoefliger. It is the warmest and earliest ripening Cabernet Sauvignon site with a beautiful terraced vineyard that produces small, concentrated berries with a lot of personality.
Artalade
Newton
Denali
The Debate includes three perspectives of Napa Valley Cabernet Francs from three outstanding vineyards in Napa Valley: Sleeping Lady, Beckstoffer To Kalon and Stagecoach. Cabernet Franc is known as the father of Cabernet Sauvignon but rarely bottled on its own. When built as a standalone wine, we believe that Cabernet Franc makes a powerful statement. Crafted by Jean Hoefliger using the same winemaking techniques, these three wines show the true diversity of terroir and the art of interpretation.Cabernet Franc
Sleeping Lady
Bettinelli’s Sleeping Lady Vineyard is located on the southern tip of the Yountville foothills in the alluvial Mayacamas Bench. The vineyard is named for the distinctive foothills behind the property, which look like a woman laying on her side. The Bettinelli Family are innovators in the farming community, embracing cutting edge technology allowing us to track photosynthesis activity, vine stress levels, and phenolic evolution throughout the year. Sleeping Lady is the coolest and most elegant of our sites due to the bay influence paired with its alluvial soil.
Beckstoffer To Kalon
The fabled Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard is nestled on the warm valley floor, cultivating a remarkable Cabernet Franc with granular tannins and a full-bodied mouthfeel. The biggest secret of To Kalon is its acidity. Due to its location on the west side of the Valley tucked against the Mayacamas Mountain Range, the setting sun hides behind the mountains early in the day which protects the acidity content of the berries. With a mere 10% of Cabernet Franc planted at Beckstoffer To Kalon, THE DEBATE is excited to share this expression of the varietal.
Stagecoach
Stagecoach Vineyard is the largest contiguous vineyard in Napa Valley. The 1,100 acres of rocky, volcanic terroir extend from the southern edge of Pritchard Hill overlooking Oakville to the westernmost regions of the Atlas Peak appellation. Our Cabernet Franc block is located at the furthest northwestern block of Stagecoach at an elevation of 1,500 feet. The terroir is known for its volcanic, rocky and iron-rich soil creating wines with power and density yet balanced with acidity.