2023 Burgess Cellars, Contadino Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

THE STORY

The women of the Rossini and Poncetta families were true pioneers of Howell

Mountain in the 1870s and 1880s, toiling to plant and train vineyards and harvest

steep hillsides, just as their forebears did in the Swiss and Italian countryside. Their

lives were not easy, and they laid the foundation for so much of what we do.

At Burgess, we honor them by naming a Cabernet Sauvignon for them: “Contadina”

is the Italian word for female farmer.

VINEYARD SOURCE

We assemble Contadina Cabernet Sauvignon primarily from select blocks in our

Quartz Creek Vineyard, in Oak Knoll AVA, as well as our St. Andrews Vineyard, also in

Oak Knoll AVA. These vineyards are certified CCOF Organic.

HARVEST NOTES

It has always been our goal at Burgess to capture freshness and grace in our wines.

Our sites are naturally low yielding, and we work hard in the vineyard to preserve

the site and varietal character and encourage early maturity. And in 2023, a long,

relatively cool vintage, we were able to wait and capture the perfect moment of

ripeness. Rarely do Brix, acidity, and phenolic ripeness align so beautifully as they

did in 2023.

TASTING NOTES

The 2023 Contadina is a balanced yet lively Cabernet Sauvignon with notes of ripe

blackcurrant and lush red cherry fruit, accentuated with herbal aromatics of sage,

mint, and sweet tobacco, and a long, complex finish with rounded tannins. The

provenance of these vineyards and the rigorous organic farming standards applied

to them makes this a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon with a very generous quality-

to-price rapport.

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc

Aged 24 months in 30% new French oak barrique, 70% neutral French oak barrique and tank

AVA: Napa Valley

Alcohol: 14%