The Cakebread Story

Over 30 years ago, Jack Cakebread came to photograph the Napa Valley for a book and while here, he casually mentioned his interest in one day owning a vineyard to some family friends who had a ranch in Rutherford. When he returned home that afternoon, the phone rang and it was the family friends offering to sell their property. He headed back up to the valley that same afternoon to make his best offer, and Cakebread Cellars was born. 

 

The property was predominantly pasture; the few existing Sauvignon Vert, Malvasia and other obscure vines were not only useless for fine wine production but in some cases unidentifiable. Consultation with the University of California at Davis determined that the best varieties to plant were Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc.  While his construction of a small laboratory and winery building progressed over the next two years, Jack enrolled in the Viticulture and Enology program at University of California at Davis. Until 1978, when his youngest son, Bruce, joined his father in winemaking, Jack Cakebread produced all his own wines; the first was a 1973 Chardonnay followed by a 1974 Cabernet Sauvignon.

 

Since its inception, the winery has expanded several times from the original 22 acres to over 240 acres of vineyards. In 1999, an acquisition added substantial vineyard acreage on Howell Mountain.

 

Key Principals

The Cakebread family has achieved a reputation built on quality and consistency for producing world-class wines.  Each family member contributes an individual talent to the harmonious synergy.

 

As of 2002, Bruce Cakebread assumed the role of COO and President, while Jack Cakebread remains as CEO.  Dennis Cakebread is SVP of Sales and Marketing and is a founding board member of the Rutherford Dust Society, a group of the Rutherford appellation's growers.  Delores Cakebread, as Culinary Director, has welcomed visitors to their Napa Valley estate for years, with wine country cuisine and her famous estate herb and vegetable garden.

Julianne Laks, Bruce’s assistant winemaker for 14 years, became Winemaker with these changes.

 

 

 

 

         

 

 

 

The Blend

In 2007, the wine’s complexity was further enhanced by blending in 4% Sauvignon Musqué, an especially aromatic clone of Sauvignon Blanc, and 7% Sémillon, which softened acidity and contributed a pleasing citrus tone.

 

‘07v Harvest

• After the long, cool growing seasons of 2005 and 2006, 2007 brought a change of pace.
• Winter and spring were unusually dry with above-average temperatures, which accelerated budbreak and bloom.
• The summer months were mild, with few hot days, which allowed the Sauvignon Blanc grapes to ripen evenly. 
• Combined with modest crop yields, this gave fruit with fully matured flavors balanced by crisp acidity.

 

Winemaking Specifics

• The Sauvignon Blanc grapes were night-harvested at cool temperatures to preserve their fresh, vibrant flavors and achieve an ideal balance of sugar and acidity. 
• After the grapes arrived at the winery, the whole clusters were immediately pressed to maximize varietal character while minimizing the extraction of astringent compounds from the skins.  
• In 2007, 59% of the juice was tank-fermented and aged in neutral French oak barrels; 26% was fermented and aged in barrel; and 15% was tank-fermented with no oak aging. 
• This regimen allowed us to optimize the wine’s varietal intensity while enriching its texture through short-term exposure to oak.

 

Tasting Notes

• The fresh, vivacious 2007 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc opens with bright lime, kiwi, grapefruit and green melon aromas, with complementary hay and mineral scents adding complexity. 
• On the sleek, medium-bodied palate, the wine offers zesty citrus and melon flavors that culminate in a refreshingly flinty, mineral-tinged finish. 
• An ideal apèritif wine, the vibrant 2007 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc also makes a fine accompaniment to salads, lighter seafood and poultry dishes, and vegetarian entrees.

 

 

Vineyard Overview

One hundred percent of the grapes for this wine came from the 46-acre estate vineyard near Boonville in the southern end of Anderson Valley.

• This little jewel of a wine valley that follows the Navarro River as it drains into the Pacific Ocean at Albion on the Mendocino Coast.
• The vineyard is planted to six different, high-quality French Pinot Noir clones ideally suited to Anderson Valley’s cool, marine-influenced climate.
• Yielding small clusters of small-berried grapes with intense, concentrated flavors and ripe tannins.
• These special vines enable us to produce a cool-climate Pinot Noir of uncommon depth, richness and complexity.

 

‘05v Harvest

• In 2005, a warm late winter spurred early bud break, yet cool, wet spring weather set back vine development.
• Unseasonably cool temperatures continued throughout most of the summer, which slowed ripening and extended the harvest season.
• Fortunately, warm, sunny days in September and October brought the growing season to a successful conclusion.
• Because the season began early and ended late, the grapes enjoyed long hang time, resulting in wines with good flavor concentration at moderate alcohol levels.

 

Winemaking Specifics

• Each of the six Anderson Valley Pinot Noir clones was fermented separately to maximize their distinctive personalities.
• Prior to fermentation, each lot received a three-day cold soak to gently extract color and tannin while accentuating the Pinot Noir grape’s fruit-forward character. 
• In traditional Burgundian fashion, the juice fermented in open-top tanks with gentle, manual punch-down of the cap.
• After fermentation completed, the wines macerated on the skins for another two weeks, with daily reviews by the winemakers of color and tannin development.
• After draining the wines off the skins, they were transferred to French oak barrels, 46% new.
• Before creating a final blend in December, 2005 and aging the wine another year in barrel before bottling in December, 2006.

 

Tasting Notes

• The 2005 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir is masculine in style with dense, brooding, black plum, dark chocolate, vanilla and roasted coffee aromas.
• The full-bodied palate is lush and textured, with layers of mouthfilling dark fruit and chocolate-tinged flavors balanced by ripe, supple tannins.
• Age this wine? Delicious now, this big, youthful Pinot Noir will soften and gain further complexity with 3-5 years ageing.

       

 

 

 

Vineyard Overview

• Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is crafted from grapes grown in a range of prime vineyards stretching from the warm Calistoga region at the northern end of the valley to the cool Carneros district at its southern tip.
• In 2005, approximately 94% of the grapes came from warmer up-valley vineyards with 6% from the Carneros district.

 

 

’05 Harvest

• In 2005, a warm late winter spurred early bud break, but cool, wet, spring weather set back vine development.
• Atypically cool temperatures continued throughout the summer, which slowed ripening and prolonged the growing season.
• Fortunately, warm, sunny weather in September and October brought the harvest to fruition in fine fashion.
• Due to the early start to the season and its late conclusion,  grapes (includes 10% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc) enjoyed a long hang time on the vines,

 

 

Winemaking Specifics

• After crushing and cold-soaking the grapes for 24-36 hours to enhance extraction, the juice from each vineyard lot was fermented separately in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, at warm temperatures, to fully extract color and flavor.
• Fermentation completed in approximately seven days, but the wines macerated on the skins for an additional three weeks to maximize color and flavor extraction and enhance tannins.
• The free run juice from each lot was then drained and transferred to French oak barrels, 35% new, for aging.
• In spring, 2006, the lots chosen for our Napa Valley bottling were blended and subsequently aged an additional 14 months in barrel before bottling in July, 2007.

 

 

Tasting Notes

• The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon boasts a fascinating mélange of aromas, including ripe black fig, blackberry, cassis, caramel, and mocha.
• On the richly textured palate, the wine’s intense black fruit flavors take on brambly spice, roasted coffee and dark chocolate tones.
• Firmly structured and packed with layers of luxurious flavor, it’s ready now but will age beautifully for another 5-7 years.

      

 

 

Vineyard Overview

• The Dancing Bear Ranch on Howell Mountain in eastern Napa Valley, perched at an elevation between 1800 and 2200 feet, is named for the omnivorous black bear who likes to feast on the mountain grapes as they approach ripeness.
• Fortunately, as the bear dances down the vine rows munching grape clusters, he leaves enough behind to craft this classic Napa Valley mountain red, a Bordeaux-style blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc.

 

’04v Harvest

• In 2004, an unusually balmy late winter, consistently warm spring and summer temperatures, and several late-summer heat spells resulted in the earliest Cabernet Sauvignon harvest in Napa Valley since 1981.
• The early budbreak, combined with light crop loads, produced grape clusters with small berries and intense, concentrated flavors, resulting in wines of great depth, concentration and structure.

 

Winemaking Specifics

• The Howell Mountain grapes possess deeper color, higher acidity and more tannin than the valley-grown fruit.
• As a result, the winemaking approach with Dancing Bear is to capture the distinctive, intense character of the fruit without extracting overly aggressive tannins.
• To do so, fermentation temperatures and the ‘cap’ of skins at the top of the fermenting tank, whose contact with the juice determines the degree of tannin extraction, are carefully monitored.
• Winemaker Julianne Laks carefully manages these processes during fermentation and maceration (the period after fermentation when the wine remains in contact with the grape skins), tasting the wine daily to assess tannin levels and ‘mouth-feel’.
• When Julianne senses the wine has achieved an optimal balance of fruit intensity and ripe tannins, the free run wine is drained from the skins (no ‘press wine’ is used) and transferred to French oak barrels for aging.
• The 2004 Dancing Bear was aged 22 months in French oak barrels, 45% new, prior to bottling in August, 2006.

 

Tasting Notes

• True to its mountain provenance, the 2004 Dancing Bear Cabernet Sauvignon boasts intense, complex, high-toned aromas of Bing cherry, brambleberry and spicy dark plum fruit mingled with enticing floral, sage, tobacco, chocolate, earth and mineral scents.
• Incredibly pure and focused on the palate, its beautifully structured wild cherry, ripe fig, spicy black fruit and dark chocolate flavors reveal a pronounced minerality in the wine’s long, persistent finish.
• Delicious now with grilled steaks, venison and hearty stews; this wonderfully rich, complex Cabernet Sauvignon will handsomely repay long-term cellaring.