The nine-acre Suscol Ranch vineyard is located in Jamieson Canyon, south of the city of Napa. The area is very cool, with dense fog early in the season and windy conditions all year long. The vines are planted on a gentle, north-facing knoll of deep, loamy soil and are cordon trained to give the grapes maximum sun exposure. The cool conditions allow the fruit to mature slowly, gracefully developing flavors and mature tannins.

Early and scarce are the two words that really define the 2015 vintage, and the growing season started with budbreak in early March and bloom in mid-May. Despite low rainfall, canopies were very healthy and clusters were full. During the moderate summer months, we pulled leaves around the fruit to ensure adequate exposure. Bird netting was hung around the fruit later in the season to protect the grapes from migratory birds. Because the weather in this area is about 10 degrees cooler than our northern sites, fruit was allowed an extended hang time, with night harvesting beginning in late September just as the leaves began to turn their fall colors.