| Region of production: | Napa Valley AVA |
| Winery Location: | Rutherford |
| Year Established: | 2005 |
Vineyard Holdings
- Helms Vineyard (Rutherford AVA, 325 ft. elevation): 2 ha
- Hershey Vineyard (Howell Mountain AVA, 1800 ft. elevation): 14 ha
- Lotus Vineyard (Napa Valley AVA, lower slopes of Howell Mountain, 1200 ft. elevation): 2 ha
- Cyrstal Springs (Napa Valley AVA, lower slopes of Howell Mountain, 800 ft. elevation): 5 ha
Top Wines Produced & Inaugural Vintages
- Helms Vineyard: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Inaugural vintage 2005.
- Hershey Vineyard: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Inaugural vintage 2006.
- Lotus Vineyard: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.
- Onda: Over90% Cabernet Sauvignon, with Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. Inaugural vintage 2010 (USA; originally only sold in Asia as „Ondo d’Oro“).
Average Total Production
- Approximately 12,000 bottles
Summary
At the base of the Mayacamas Mountains on Napa’s Rutherford Bench, the former Livingston Moffett winery now houses ambitious new producer Dana Estates. Since its debut under Korean proprietor Hi Sang Lee and winemaking team Cameron Vawter and Philippe Melka in 2005, the winery has quickly cemented its place among Napa’s cult wine firmament, with 100-point scores from Mr. Parker and other lavish critical praise. The project’s original release, a 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon from the property’s Helms Vineyard, was complemented in 2006 with two other single vineyard Cabernet releases, from the Lotus and Hershey Vineyards. All are produced from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, and released in tiny quantities, in the range of 100-250 cases each. A fourth wine, „Onda,“ made its debut in the American market for the 2010 vintage as a Cabernet-dominant blend of Bordeaux varieties and all four vineyard sources.
Style & Vinification Techniques
The single vineyard Cabernet wines are fermented in a variety of vessels, including barriques, concrete tanks, and large oak casks–the choice is dependent on vineyard and vintage. The wines generally remain on the skins for 30-40 days before pressing. 100% new French oak from a variety of forests and coopers is employed, and the wines spend around 2 years each in barrel. The wines are ripe, opulent and polished, and often exceed 15% in alcohol.
Producer Website: Dana Estates