Davies Vineyards
2015 Cabernet Sauvignon
"Three Benches"
Diamond Mountain District AVA
Auction 21 | Lot No. 52
Vintage: 2015
Davies Vineyards
Cabernet Sauvignon
Diamond Mountain District
5 cases produced
Highlights
- Created from the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon blocks from all three benches on the J. Davies Estate
- Originally planted in 1862, these were the first hillside vineyards in the Napa Valley
- A Napa Green Certified Vineyard site nestled between Ritchie and Nash Creeks on Diamond Mountain
- Crafted by winemakers Sean Thompson and Celia Welch specifically for Premiere Napa Valley
Description
Named in honor of family patriarch Jack Davies, J. Davies is the product of an intimate knowledge of a place and passion to create delicious red wine. Nestled between Nash Creek and Ritchie Creek on the southern slopes of Diamond Mountain, this is the site of Napa Valley’s first hillside vineyards, planted in 1862. The Davies family carefully began replanting these vineyards to Bordeaux varietals for the J. Davies label in 1994. “Three Benches” is an assemblage of the best barrels of the vintage. Produced from Cabernet Sauvignon vines, and aged 24 months in 100% new French oak barrels, this barrel lot was made specifically for Premiere Napa Valley.
Wine Facts
- Wine is 100% estate grown and bottled
Sean Thompson
Winemaker, Davies Vineyards
I started my career in winemaking with Beringer at the old Italian Swiss Colony in Asti. The hook was set with the discovery of the diversity of flavors and aromas produced by the simple grape and its fermentation. I continued my enological exploration with the fermentation of red wines after moving to Napa Valley for a position at the Merlot house of Rutherford Hill Winery.
I returned to the University of California, Davis in the fall of 2002, to work with Dr. David Mills in earning a Masters of Science in Viticulture and Enology.
Upon graduation, I began at Staglin Family Estate in Rutherford, CA, working directly with Luc Morlet to mine the terroir of estate-driven Cabernet Sauvignon. This final piece led me to join Schramsberg in the summer of 2006 as the J. Davies Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon Assistant Winemaker, and taking over as the winemaker in 2008. In 2017, I became Director Winemaking for Schramsberg and Davies Vineyards.
Country born: United States
Education: B.S. Chemistry, U.C. Davis
Masters of Science in Viticulture and Enology, U.C. Davis
Years in the wine industry: 20-30 years
Winemaking Philosophy:
Keeping your ears open and your mouth shut. Much of my education was shaped by asking questions and listening to the answers. I also believe in fostering an environment to encourage questions from others in and outside the winery. People want to be a part of the experience of producing spectacular wines.
Celia Welch
Winemaker, Davies Vineyards
After more than twenty-five years of making wines for other Napa Valley vintners, Celia Welch is excited to share with you the wine she has made for her own brand, Corra.
Celia Welch's first interaction with grapes was under the huge oak tree in her backyard in Southern Oregon, where her siblings and she plucked grape berries from stems for their father, an avid wine collector and home winemaker. Her parents also included the family on trips through Napa and Sonoma in the early sixties, and, like most visitors, she was entranced with the beauty of the rolling vineyards.
In 1982 with a degree in Enology earned at UC Davis in her back pocket, she set out to take a peek at a few wine regions. Her travels took her to the Pacific Northwest, the East Coast, and to New Zealand. She worked harvest in the Barossa Valley of Australia, and then settled in the Napa Valley to refine her craft.
Celia had reached a fork in her career path in the early nineties, and she chose to focus on independent wine consulting. The wines she has made create a microcosm of Napa Valley. She has made wine from vineyards on Mt. Veeder, Atlas Peak, and Howell Mountain to those in Carneros, and from benchland vineyards from St. Helena to Napa.
In 2004 came the idea and the challenge of founding Corra. It was not easy to find vineyard sources with top-quality fruit, a winery with a bit of space to spare for barrels, and a strong team of individuals with experience in different aspects of the wine business from grapevines to websites. The results of these efforts have been tremendous; well-received wines and a project that has lead to information- and idea-sharing for everyone involved.
Country born: United States
Education: 1982 with a degree in Enology earned at UC Davis
Years in the wine industry: 30+ years
Winemaking Philosophy:
Celia had reached a fork in her career path in the early nineties, and she chose to focus on independent wine consulting.
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| Correlation Wine Company | 2016 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | 22 (2018) | |
| Dakota Shy | 2016 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | Next Chapter | 22 (2018) |
| NINE SUNS | 2016 | Grenache | Napa Valley | 22 (2018) | |
| Davies Vineyards | 2015 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Diamond Mountain District | Three Benches | 21 (2017) |
| Gemstone Vineyard | 2015 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Yountville | Winemaker's Special Selection | 21 (2017) |
| Stony Hill Vineyard | 2016 | Chardonnay | Spring Mountain District | 21 (2017) | |
| Yao Family Wines | 2014 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Rutherford | 21 (2017) | |
| Kenefick Ranch Winery | 2014 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Calistoga | 20 (2016) | |
| Spoto Family Wines | 2014 | Red Wine | Oakville | Intentionally Unintentional | 20 (2016) |
| Tamber Bey | 2014 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Oakville | 20 (2016) | |
| Acacia Vineyard | 2014 | Pinot Noir | Los Carneros | Lone Tree Vineyard | 19 (2015) |
| Coup De Foudre Winery | 2013 | Red Wine | Calistoga | Lightning Bolt | 19 (2015) |
| Villa Del Lago | 2013 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | Villas del Lagus Arilius Vl | 19 (2015) |
| Frias Family Vineyard | 2012 | Cabernet Sauvignon | St. Helena | 18 (2014) | |
| Paradigm Winery | 2012 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Oakville | 18 (2014) |
Winery Distribution
Davies Vineyards is distributed in the following markets. Please contact the winery directly for the most up-to-date distribution information and to explore commercial opportunities.
Domestic:
- California (RNDC)