1st Release Teodoro Port, Sage Canyon Vineyard, Napa Valley

This delicious effort is homage to Gary's paternal grandfather, Theodore, who introduced Gary to the pleasures of Port.

Teodoro Port is made from three Portuguese varietals - Tinta Cao, Touriga National, and Souzao, grown in the same Sage Canyon Vineyard as the Syrah. The vines are seven years old. The spicy Tinta Cao makes up 60 % of the cuvée; the deeply colored, fruity Souzao composes 30 %; and the intense, tannic Touriga National the remaining 10 %.

Gary ensured a cold fermentation using plenty of dry ice. He says "It makes it tough on your legs, as Kim or I or both of us tread each bin about 15 minutes a day, and the temperature is between 50° and 60° F. The fermentation is therefore slow, with maximum extraction, and also allows us to 'dial in the arrest' exactly when we need it. After a cold soak of about 5 days, we are usually in a position to press (around 12° Brix) in another 8 - 10 days."

This first release, 77 cases of 12/375ml bottles, is a blend of the 2003, 2004, & 2005 cuvées, and is by design non-vintage. The wine was aged in neutral oak on average two years, and was bottled in early February 2006.

Sage Canyon Vineyard in Napa Valley produces premium wine grapes from a steep mountain ranch with elevations that range from 900 to 1,400 feet above the Napa Valley floor. Extensive summertime early morning fog makes this vineyard an ideal wine grape growing area. On this 60 acre vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Syrah, and Petite Sirah are grown. Soils types are a complex combination that includes Berressa dibble, and both Los Gatos and Millsholm loam.

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