A Symbol in the Heart of Napa Valley
Paying homage to the heritage of our esteemed wine region, Durant & Booth is a symbol of the past and a nod to the future of the Napa Valley lifestyle and will become everyone’s “must-have” Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley.
The History
Frederick Durant and Joseph and Willis Booth formed a partnership in 1897 and took over the Oakville store, naming it Durant & Booth. That same year, Joseph became the postmaster of Oakville with Frederick taking over the duties in 1911 for a brief stint.
Oakville began to thrive in the early 1900s with the building of churches and schools, and Durant & Booth provided provisions to the rich and poor, the miners, farmers, ranchers, and pioneers. They transformed the mercantile into a grocery store and wine merchant for the Napa Valley. Even then, the valley was producing great wine.
Today, the historic family home of Durant and Booth stands at the gateway of one of the unsurpassed wine regions of the world, and the home is one of the finest Victorians from the era. They transformed the destination into a grocery store and icon of Napa Valley with Oakville Grocery, which sees over 500,000 visitors each year.
The Wine
NAPA VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Bourbon Barrel Aged
THE VINTAGE
2018 was a near picture-perfect growing season that began in late February followed by a mild Spring yielding uniform grape clusters. Temperatures remained moderate to cool throughout the season with 2018 being considered one of the coolest vintages of the past decade. The cooler temperatures allowed for a longer hangtime resulting in an even and temperate harvest.
WINEMAKER’S NOTES
Harvested in the cool morning hours from vineyards across Napa Valley included the Calistoga, St. Helena, and Rutherford appellations, the grapes were hand-sorted and underwent extended maceration before aging in a combination of new French oak and American White oak bourbon barrels. Bourbon barrels have a heavier toast that imparts a light smoky note on the nose and highlights the characteristics that are synonymous with the spirit.
TASTING NOTES
This 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is a dark purple in the glass and opens with aromas of black cherry, blackberry, and currants with notes of incense and a waft of smoked meat. Full-bodied, the textured palate is rich with flavors of brown sugar, sweet vanilla, baking spice, and hints of toasted oak. Balanced with fine-grained tannins, the finish is savory and lingers.
TECHNICAL NOTES
VARIETALS: 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc | APPELLATION: Napa Valley | ALCOHOL: 14.5% | PH: 3.72 | TA: 4.7 G/l | AGING: Combination of Bourbon and American oak barrels
Winemaking
THANE KNUTSON
Winemaker
Thane Knutson was born and raised in Oklahoma. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in Internal Business, and along the way he discovered his love of fermentation after making batch of wine in his dorm room closet. The science and art of fermentation captivated Thane so much so that he picked up a job at the local winery in Slaughterville, Oklahoma.
Deciding to dive into the wine world further, he made the move to the West Coast and worked his first harvest in 2006 at Cakebread Cellars followed by two years honing his skills at the Hess Collection Winery before joining Raymond Vineyards in 2009 where he is involved in all aspects of wine production.
In January, 2019, Thane became the Winemaker for Durant & Booth.
