Viader > California

Delia Viader established her namesake winery 1200 feet above the Napa Valley on the rocky slopes of Howell Mountain in 1986. Emulating a European design rarely seen in California, the vines are oriented up and down the steep hillsides, a planting method that optimizes sun exposure, vine density and erosion control. Planting on such a steep grade of 32 % is a challenge, and requires meticulous hand-farming.

In 1989 the winery released its first vintage of the Viader proprietary blend (a wine which always features a significant percentage of Cabernet Franc with Cabernet Sauvignon as its base element). This blend was considered a daring diversion from other Cabernet-based wines from Napa Valley; over time, it became Viader’s signature wine.

Over the years, the winery has grown to include an estate Syrah and a Petit Verdot blend labeled "V." The “V” is a reserve Bordeaux-style blend featuring Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon from the Viader estate. The DARE line (started in 2003) focuses on single varieties and features three distinct wines – 100% Cabernet Franc, 100% Tempranillo, and 100% Cabernet Sauvignon – incorporating fruit from selected vineyards sources, both on and off the estate .

Viader Website

Dare Cabernet Sauvignon

A blend of select barrels from their estate vineyards on Howell Mountain and fruit sourced from Lewelling Vineyards in St. Helena.

Alan Viader fermented the fruit for our DARE by Viader Cabernet Sauvignon in small batches of fewer than 6 tons each in stainless steel tanks with whole berries and long cold soaks, turning the volume of the tanks constantly. Fermentations

were quick, at temperatures below 85-88°F to preserve the delicate aromas. The gentle extraction slowly building the middle structure of the wines. Extended maceration periods, more than double of previous vintages, was done to balance tannin structure with richer and denser fruit notes. Wines remained sur lees for a period of 4 months with batonage (stirring) every 2 weeks.

TANZER: "Good deep red-ruby. Cassis, flowers, menthol and dusty, nutty oak on the nose. Sweet but serious, with the middle palate currently dominated by the wine’s firms structure. This distinctly claret-like wine finishes with substantial, slightly tough tannins and a primary medicinal character."

Viader - Napa

66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Cabernet Franc

The fruit was fermented in small batches of fewer than 6 tons each in stainless steel and burgundian concrete unlined tanks with 75% whole berries. Cold soaks occurred for up to 10 days, turning the volume of the tanks constantly. Fermentations were quick, averaging about 10-12 days, with temperatures below 85-88˚F to preserve the delicate aromas. Pump-overs and irrigators were used as well as manual punch-downs and delestage (rack and return) increasing the gentle extraction and slowly building the density while broadening the middle structure of the wines.

Extended maceration periods of over 60 days of skin contact – more than double of previous vintages – was done to balance the big tannin structure with richer and denser fruit notes. Aged in 100% new French Oak for 24 months in our underground caves using mostly Taransaud and Francois Freres coopers with medium to heavy toast. Wines remained sur lees for a period of 6 to 8 months with batonage (stirring) every 1-2 weeks. Minimal racking was done to preserve delicate nuances.

TANZER: "Good deep red-ruby. Subdued but rip nose offers cassis, black plum, bitter chocolate, rose petal and sexy oak spices. Bigger, broader and lusher than most past vintages of this bottling, with rich, smooth flavors of dark plum and bitter chocolate. For all its weight (this is clearly a larger-scaled wine than the 2005), it managers to retain a light touch. Finishes with big, broad, rich tannins that reach the teeth. Still a bit youthfully musclebound but built for a slow and positive evolution in the bottle. This was the first vintage (2006) to be vinified by Alan Viader, who does a longer maceration than previously and makes greater use of delestage to aerate the must and extract color and flavor. The flagship wine was macerated for 45-50 days."

V Petit Verdot

Petit Verdot 62%, Cabernet Sauvignon 38%

“V” is an exclusive VIADER blend of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon. “V” showcases the Petit Verdot grape with its very dense, almost inky color and high natural acidity, from the VIADER Estate.

TANZER: "Good red-ruby. Currant, pepper, licorice, rose petal and nutty oak on the nose, plus a light meaty nuance. Supple, broad and juicy but not at all sweet. Nicely ripe, pure flavors of blackberry, bitter cherry and violet. This shows less of the leafy quality of the 2005 version. Elegantly styled wine, finishing with good breadth and a lingering flavor of bitter cherry."

The Story of “V”

When you taste wine from a great vineyard it has a distinct personality: a taste, a feel, a look; something that makes it different from any other vineyard in the world. This distinct personality, however, is the sum of a variety of personalities within the vineyard itself. Understanding and interpreting these personalities is the greatest challenge in the evolution of a great vineyard and the wine produced from it.

Such is the story of “V”. The Viader Estate vineyard is a west-facing, steeply sloped vineyard of roughly twenty-five acres located northeast of St. Helena at 1,200 feet above sea level. Situated just below the Howell Mountain appellation, this vineyard is known for its densely planted rows of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot that run in a unique vertical fashion down the 32 degree slope of the hill.

The Petit Verdot plantings (all 1,396 vines) are located in the northeast corner of the vineyard in a small, three-quarter acre plot. The soil here is particularly rocky and the yields are pitifully small. The cuttings for this vineyard were originally obtained from Ric Forman, who pioneered the use of Petit Verdot in California at Sterling Vineyards. The wine made from these grapes has such a distinct personality that anything more than a miniscule amount in the VIADER Proprietary blend completely changes the wine. It became obvious that these grapes held a greater destiny.

The history of Petit Verdot is quite interesting. As one of the five “approved” grapes for Bordeaux red wines, the Petit Verdot is a cousin of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape. Hugh Johnson has linked it to the Blaisca vine that came from Albania via the Greeks during the height of their civilization. In the 16th and the first part of the 17th century, Petit Verdot produced a wine called cargaison that provided a hearty drink for ship crews headed on extended voyages at sea.

Originally planted in the palus, the lower lying marshy areas of Bordeaux, the Petit Verdot grape is known for its small berries, thick skins and a tendency to ripen late, even later than Cabernet Sauvignon. Although this varietal is planted in two-thirds of the cru classe vineyards in Medoc, the late ripening aspect of Petit Verdot never inspired Chateau owners to plant it in a large portion of their vineyards. At the same time, the color, tannin and peppery spice that Petit Verdot brought to the final blend was crucial. Many of the top wines in Bordeaux like Lafite, Latour and Mouton gladly declare the addition of Petit Verdot to their finals blends.

Today, Petit Verdot still comprises less than 1,000 acres in Bordeaux and just over 100 in California. Here in Napa Valley, however, the late season warm spells provide the ripeness in these grapes that the Bordelais could never count on.

The interpretation of the Petit Verdot grape from the Viader Estate is the inspiration behind “V”. Each year the “V” is blended and aged with other traditional Bordeaux varietals to express the uniqueness of the vintage. Due to the size of the Petit Verdot plantings, this wine will always be short on production but always long on personality.

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