Longtime Domaine clients know that we think Eisele Vineyard is one of the most important vineyard sites anywhere.  We will always give great deference to anyone who has worked those vines. Enter Françoise Peschon. A star winemaker who makes Vine Hill Ranch, Drinkward Peschon and Accendo, she was also the winemaker for Araujo from 1993 until the sale of the property in 2013. When our mentor, friend and client Henry Cornell hired Françoise as the consulting winemaker for his very remote property on top of Spring Mountain, we were blown away.  Françoise brought the incredible winemaking talents of her mentee Graham Wehmeier to the team.

Cornell Vineyards

Clients often ask which up-and-coming wineries to follow, and without a doubt Cornell Vineyards is one of them.  The wine is fantastic. The 2013 vintage is 93% Cabernet and 7% Petit Verdot,  and you will be shocked at the density but also the subtlety of aromas and flavors in this inaugural release.  Analytically, the wine has tremendous structure as you would expect from mountain fruit,  but on the palate the harmony is shocking for such a young wine.  Balance is the primary sense, and there is plenty of raw material stuffed in the glass to last 20+ years.  Imagine a new release that is not fatiguing to drink, with splendid aromatics and tannin and alcohol completely in-check. Francoise and winemaker Graham Wehmeier have delivered a stunning inaugural vintage, and we are very excited to follow this wine and subsequent vintages for a very long time.

Henry and Vanessa Cornell describe their project with an extremely long view: “This land is the source of our vision. Seventeen years ago we purchased a plot of rugged, untamed land on the west facing slopes of Spring Mountain. A former stagecoach route passes through where vines had been tended by early settlers. With respect for the land foremost in our minds, we returned the rolling hillsides to vineyards. Two hundred wild acres with sweeping views contain twenty acres of obsessively farmed vineyard blocks, each with its own distinctive imprint. Under the guidance of winemakers Françoise Peschon and Graham Wehmeier, we strive to make a Cabernet Sauvignon that is faithful to the diversity of this impressive land.”

This is a very small production project and we have a limited number of 3- packs of the 2013 inaugural release Cabernet Sauvignon at $450 ($150 per bottle).  Buyers will be added to the Cornell mailing list as will anyone who replies after we are sold out. Cheers!

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