The Davies family, proprietors of Schramsberg and Davies Vineyards in Napa Valley, presents the seventh vintage of the J. Davies Estate “Jamie”, the finest Cabernet Sauvignon crafted from its historic Diamond Mountain vineyard property. Bearing her signature, this wine is named in honor of Schramsberg’s matriarch, the late Jamie Davies. Along with her husband Jack, she revived the Schramsberg property in 1965 with an inspired vision of crafting world-class American sparkling wines. Five decades later a second generation of the Davies family, lead by son Hugh and his wife Monique, have taken on the additional challenge of producing extraordinary Cabernet Sauvignon from vines grown on the family’s hillside property. They are proud to release the J. Davies Estate “Jamie” Cabernet Sauvignon, representing the pinnacle of an endeavor that spans over 55 years.

The vineyard blocks, totaling 46 acres, are laid out in four isolated pockets ranging from 500 to 1000 feet in elevation. They include the two Schram sections, Napa Valley’s first hillside vineyards, originally established in 1862 by Jacob Schram, the McEachran parcel, first planted by Colin McEachran in 1878, and the Claes parcel, dating back to 1984. These are the southernmost vineyards in the Diamond Mountain District AVA. Flanked by two cool creek canyons (Nash Creek to the north and Ritchie Creek to the south) and surrounded by compact coniferous and deciduous forests, the vines here produce late-ripening, richly concentrated fruit with average yields of just two tons per acre.

The long growing season in 2018 revealed a vintage with structure and concentration without being overripe. Despite a warm February, the growing season started off cooler than the past few vintages. A cool spring meant bloom lasted longer than usual, which resulted in a bountiful crop. Summer temperatures were moderate with fewer heat spikes than in recent years. Veraison started later as well, and as a result, harvest started two to three weeks later than in recent years. The result was fruit exhibiting firm tannins, with outstanding color and brightness.