Enology

Varietals

Reds

Spring Mountain is all about red wine. Climatic and geologic factors make the district ideally suited for several black grape varieties, particularly those that originated in Bordeaux.

The first planting of Cabernet Sauvignon occurred on Spring Mountain in 1873 when Charles Lemme cleared the first vineyard on Spring Mountain and founded La Perla Winery. Shortly thereafter, the Beringer brothers, Jacob and Fritz, planted Cabernet Sauvignon immediately below Lemme on the hill. A year later Tiburcio Parrott arrived on the scene in a grand style. Then just a few years later Fortune Chevalier planted Cabernet Sauvignon at Ch. Chevalier.

Today great red wine is made on Spring Mountain by Cain, York Creek, Newton, Fife, Barnett, Keenan, Togni, Smith Madrone, Spring Mountain Vineyard, and many others.

With a century of success with red wine it is natural that Spring Mountain Vineyard estate is planted mostly to black grape varieties. Of all the grapes, the variety that produces the best wine year after year, vineyard block after vineyard block is Cabernet Sauvignon. About 75 percent of the Spring Mountain Vineyard estate is planted to Cabernet Sauvignon. There are sites where soil and the exposure are not ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon. On the clay soils and eastern exposures of La Perla, Merlot has been planted. On one high vineyard block, east facing with deep rich soils Cabernet Franc has been sited. Finally, in several rocky, warm and stressful sites Petit Verdot has been situated.

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